Tales of Illusion
by Leiyoi
Summary: AU. There is a legend passed down through the generations. Mukuro, a traveling sorcerer, is on a journey to break free from the cursed legend that binds him. When he meets an unlikely reincarnation of the cursed soul in the legends, what truths and illusions do they lead him to? 692718.
1. The Beginning

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**Tales of Illusion**

by: Paio Ichiris Jin (aka Leiyoi)

_The Beginning_

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In a time so long ago that it could be deemed non-existent, atop the greatest mountain, there stood an ancient shrine, where five gods existed in harmony. But they were lonely gods, longing for contact with the other beings of the world. To appease their loneliness, the five gods birthed a beautiful girl with a most beautiful personality from the mountain stream and raised her as their own child. She was beloved by the five gods and they gave her a special gift when she had turned five years of age, for they loved her dearly and the little girl loved them back just as much, if not more.

Her gift was that of summoning and communicating with the spirits and gods around her and the girl passed each day, growing older and more powerful as she practiced her special gift with the spirits of the mountain and shrine. The five gods and their child existed peacefully and happily together. But happiness was not a being that could stay in one place for too long.

It was on the fateful day that a weary traveler stumbled up the mountain, searching wildly for food and water. He arrived at the very top and collapsed before the shrine, alarming the animals and spirits living there. The girl, now a woman, quickly heard from the spirits that a stranger had fainted upon the stone steps of the shrine and, worried for the stranger, the woman rushed off to gather food and water for him.

Upon wakening, the man found the charming woman leaning over him, cleaning his face gently with a soft towel. He instantly fell in love. He wanted this woman as his. The woman did not understand the man's intentions and had continued to help the weary traveler, speaking to him in her warm and inviting voice. But the gods knew at once that the stranger spoke of disaster and thus in the night, they sent horrible nightmares into his mind until he could take no more and fled back down the mountain. The woman, unaware that her fate had been finally set into motion after meeting with the stranger from the world below, mourned the loss of her new friend. But the gods comforted her and assured her that her friend would be all right.

But everything was not all right. The man could not forget the beautiful face and soul the woman on the mountain possessed. Thus, the man told his story to his friends, in the hopes of passing on his cursed love, allowing him to forget all of what had happened on the mountain. Once his friends had heard of the story, they felt inclined to catch a glimpse of the girl as well. And so, they each took turns to climb the mountain and look upon the rumored beauty. Despite all the gods' efforts to stop Fate's wheel from turning its course, from the very first moment the stranger had taken a glimpse of the beautiful young woman, the wheel had been on an unstoppable plummet. Each person, man or woman, who went up the mountain to set their eyes on the rumored goddess were entranced by her beauty. The woman welcomed them all happily, thinking nothing of their intense glances and constant visits, and soon she became friends with them all. The woman was happy and she decided to show her friends her special gift given by the gods.

When the villagers witnessed her summoning of a spirit fox, rumors shot quickly throughout the country and people from all over the vast land travelled to visit her. The five gods knew that at this rate, their beloved child would one day fall into the hands of greed and evil. And so they picked two loyal guardians to keep the woman safe from harm. Although the two bickered with each other and tended not to get along, the guardians fought well and the gods trusted them to keep their daughter safe from dangerous strangers.

One guardian wielded a long and sharp weapon that could slice even metal and stone apart. The other guardian preferred to use smaller yet just as destructive weapons to destroy any enemies before him. The gods presented the two guardians to their beloved child and she loved them immediately. The two guardians took a liking to her immediately and steadily fell in love with her beautiful soul as well. And once again, the five gods, their child, and now her guardians as well lived safely, happily, and peacefully under the ancient shrine.

But happiness and peace, no matter how long or short, never stayed in one place forever.

A sorcerer, who had heard about the beautiful young goddess with great power, paid a visit to the shrine, in hopes of befriending the girl and to use her to his advantage. When he finally reached the top of the mountain and their eyes met, the sorcerer fell into a mad love, obsessed with the need to keep her for himself. The two guardians did what they could to ward the evil sorcerer away from their beloved woman. But every night the sorcerer left, they could be sure that he would once again appear over the stone steps in the morning.

Driven by his madness, the sorcerer decided once and for all that if he wasn't allowed to touch her, no one else would be allowed to either. Not the guardians. Nor the people or the animals. And not the gods. He left one night, after a fierce battle against the guardians, and then disguised himself as a small black cat. The sorcerer crept up the mountain once more, this time in his new form, and he crawled past the guardians and into the sleeping chambers of the shrine, where the one he wanted slept. Her glimmering hair was draped gracefully across the bed, as if dancing in the firelight and her eyes were closed, hiding the entrancing amber orbs that twinkled and glowed warmly whenever she spoke. The sorcerer leaped beside her and returned to his original form, watching his loved one sleep on, vulnerable to all; for one was most vulnerable when dreaming. He reached a hand out and then brushed a finger softly and slowly across the woman's pale cheek.

The five gods immediately felt the presence of the evil sorcerer when he had changed back and ordered the guardians to hurry to their beloved child's sleeping chambers. But by the time they had arrived, they found the sorcerer on the ground, dead, and the cold body of their beloved lying still upon her bed. The sorcerer had cast a powerful spell upon his loved one. A spell that could only be cast during one's most vulnerable moment, in their sleep, in their dreams. The spell would curse her to forever die and reincarnate and every time she is reborn, she would never be allowed to touch or be touched by her loved ones. In turn, the sorcerer would have to give up his present life and suffer the same fate of re-birthing over and over again, each time cast into a deep world of loneliness, only able to watch his loved one from afar.

The guardians, learning of the tragedy that had befallen the one they had sworn to protect, killed themselves in their sorrow and the five gods guided their reincarnations to follow in the woman's footsteps in order to continue protecting her. The five gods themselves watched over their beloved daughter, living and reliving lives in the vast land below, each time born with the precious gift they had so lovingly given her. And they continue until this day, to wish and hope that one day, her curse could be broken so that she would not have to suffer any more.

Thus, is the legend of Aura, the goddess with the power to move people's hearts and the one who possesses the gift to command the spirits and gods.

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	2. Of Their Meeting

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_Of Their Meeting_

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Green. Luscious, dark, bright and nearly transparent, the green trees tangled themselves over a worn dirt path, littered with dead and dry brown leaves. The trees lined themselves neatly along the trail, bending along as though leaning and reaching towards the thatch-roof of a worn down mansion peering from the end of the road. Birds twittered softly, whispering to each other in tender, harmonious sighs, and the cicadas chimed loudly and then gently, like the waves of the sea. Dusty rays of sun dripped from the patches between the foliage, staining small spots on the dirt path a golden yellow, revealing a blue beetle glimmering in the dead leaves, like a small precious jewel.

A crackle of leaves came from the darker and damper area in the path leading deep within the forest and the twittering of birds hushed. Cicadas chimed hesitantly. A black booted foot crushed down upon the dead leaves lightly, sending crackling sounds bouncing against the unkempt and beautifully overgrown scenery. A man, holding a long staff in his gloved hands, took a step forward again, foot nearly crushing the blue beetle scurrying away in fright. The tails of his long black coat floated loosely behind him and the front was left open to expose his cleanly pressed dress shirt beneath it, a pure white amongst all the black and green. His red and blue eyes landed on the old stone mansion at the end of the path and the man watched it wistfully.

"I've found you at last..." The man whispered to no one in particular. His eyes darted to the little beetle on the ground and, as though catching the man's gaze, it scurried under another leaf with haste. A sweet smile spread across the man's lips. His eyes returned to the old building, still curiously peering over the crown of the trees at all who ventured through the forest, and he stepped forward once more, long blue hair floating behind him while the tufts of hair at the top of his head waved teasingly in the wind. His feet left behind a path of crumbling dead leaves, and without missing a heartbeat, he stepped upon the small beetle, easily, leaving it to squirm and twitch for its small life under its weak shield of decaying leaves.

As the man left the thick forest trail, he felt the sun engulf him in its glaringly bright rays. But his eyes did not stray from the small, nearly church-like mansion, sitting cozily in between the slopes of the yellowing hills and the clumping deep green forests. One of its walls had been claimed by the strong clutches of ivy and the wooden windows of the mansion looked almost as though they would splinter at any second. A long stretch of tall yet crumbling walls formed a tentative barricade around the worn mansion, and the man strode down a small pathway littered with weeds, reaching a large black and rusting gate almost instinctively. The gate stood upright against the end of the walls, one of its doors swinging open back and forth in the wind, and a barking sound of laughter erupted from the other side of the crumbling walls, forming a cacophonous chorus against the steady screeching of the black gates. The man slipped inside, eyes shifting from left to right in interest. A lonesome cellar stood nearby one of the outer walls and as the man approached it, he felt something warm float out from within. The man moved to stand behind it—in the grassy space between the cellar and the outer walls surrounding the entire area—and he peered in through the open but barred window. His eyes widened slightly when he found a pale white flower, poking up from the barren ground, glowing and shimmering in the rays of weak sun shooting in through the window. The man smiled again, eyes now lighting up in a calculating manner. "He's close. Kufufu..."

The peals of laughter erupted again from his right and he lifted his mismatched eyes from the lonely flower in the prison-like cellar towards the field hidden by a section of the mansion. He drew himself away from the strange warmth pulsing from the cellar and pushed himself back into the crisp wind. Another wave of soft warmth wrapped around his body once before floating slowly away in the direction of the field behind the building, where the laughter came from. The man smirked and followed the warmth simply, striding closer and closer to the sounds of loud and barking laughter.

In the field, a group of young men and women crowded together, shouting and laughing at some poor creature cowering against the outer wall. The man watched silently from the side as a young man sent a harsh kick into whatever thing they were grouping around so horribly. The young women laughed and a few of them leaned down to poke long and hard at the thing they were making fun of.

"Awww, does this hurt, No-Good-Tsuna? Does it hurt?" They jested, jabbing the one nicknamed No-Good-Tsuna over and over again with their fingers.

"What a liar," One of the young men smirked snobbishly, patting his hands over his pants as though he were wiping away grime, "Can you stop trying to attract attention by _pretending_ it hurts already? What a loser. Still trying to do the same thing even after all these years... you must be dumb in the head or something."

A young woman sneered and spat nastily, "You sure don't know your limits. How dare you defile Aura's legend? The only way it would actually hurt is if you were a _girl_, like Aura. And besides, you have to actually _love_ us for it to actually hurt."

"Hahaha! How can he possibly love us after all these years of being treated so badly by everyone he knows?"

"Eww, I don't want No-Good-Tsuna to love me. That's disgusting...!"

"Aww, stop it! Stop saying it. It's already disgusting to look at him. Let's just go get Miss Popritte and tell her No-Good-Tsuna tried to attack us again with his 'powers'."

"Okay! I bet he'll be thrown back into the cellar again. Serves him right."

"Naw, maybe he'll get flogged again! After all, that's what he deserves for defiling Aura's reputation."

And then the throng of young men and women dispersed, giggling while heading in through a large and decaying wooden door against the side of the building. The man felt the warm air float beside him again and he needed no further nudge to move towards the skinny and frail looking boy balled up against the molding wall. The warm air flew past him and the man figured that whatever the warmth was, it was now trying to comfort the young boy sitting before him. As the man stepped closer, he gazed at the boy's head of messy chestnut hair strewn with grass and soil. His eyes fell upon the thinning shirt hanging loosely on the boy's torso and the tattered jean pants worn light blue from years of chafing. The man watched as the boy's head lifted and sent a weak smile towards his shoulder. And then, the boy turned his head upward, staring open mouthed at the tall man towering over him. The boy's eyes were amber, glowing and sparkling with undying hope and warmth. The man's gaze softened and he knelt down before the boy, eyes darting from the bruises and burns upon the boy's face to his amber colored eyes again.

"I have found you... Sawada Tsunayoshi." The man whispered to the boy softly and kept his red and blue eyes on the boy. The man's eyes held such a sad and affectionate gaze that it kept the boy staring straight into the man's opposite colored eyes in fascination. Tsuna licked his lips once, tasting the blood running from his cracked lips, and then he spoke timidly.

"Who... who are you...?"

Suddenly, the decaying wooden door of the mansion opened with a crash and a thin woman with spidery fingers rushed over as quick as her bone-like feet could carry her. Her voice was sharp and high as she shrieked, "Sawada! How _dare_ you do such a thing again!" She grasped the boy's arm harshly with her hands and the man's eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed Tsuna wince and then gasp in pain. The woman—who was most likely Miss Popritte—dragged the frail boy across the ground, not caring whether he stood or sat, and pulled him towards the lonely cellar standing near the outer walls. "I'll teach you a good lesson this time. No food for a month. And I mean it. You'll stay in there for an entire month. I don't care if you burn or freeze to death in there, you are staying there. No exceptions! How many times have I told you not to pretend to use 'powers' and attack the other orphans? How many times? Hm? Hm?"

Someone's hand was on her arm, grasping it gently. Miss Popritte frowned and narrowed her eyes at the tall man standing beside her, stopping her from dragging Tsuna any further. The man smiled lightly but spoke in an unyielding tone.

"Please release your hand from his arm."

Miss Popritte huffed and studied the man from head to toe. An appreciative smirk crept across her lips, but just as quickly, her thin lips pressed together to form a firm, taut line. "You may be charming but I have no reason to give in to your words," she spat out, "This child has done wrong and he must be punished for it! He's been doing this all his life! I would gladly get rid of him but none of the foster parents want him! He's a troubling child. The world would be better off if he were dead."

The man continued to smile, but a twinge of eeriness now ghosted his visage. "I understand... is that how you spoke about him to all the foster parents who came by?"

"Why I—! I would never—!" The woman's mouth opened and closed and she glanced from Tsuna to the man in confusion. "Who...?" Her eyes narrowed at the blue haired man standing before her, squinting until her dark eyes nearly looked like a pair of pressed olives. "Who are you...?"

The man stepped back and bowed courteously, though he kept his hand on the woman's. "I am Rokudo Mukuro, a humble sorcerer traversing the country. I just happened to stumble upon this place and this child took my interest."

Miss Popritte raised her eyebrows suspiciously. "I see... and _why_ would you take an interest in this stubborn boy? After all, he's good-for-nothing. Can't even cook properly or serve a meal."

"Well now..." Mukuro smirked and applied a little more pressure to Miss Popritte's arm. "My interest in this boy can only be known by me and no one else. I would ask that you hold your tongue in my presence from now on. And you will release your hold on that boy lest something... mysteriously happen..." The number six in his red eye swiveled and stopped on the number three. Immediately, hundreds of large snakes emerged from the grass, slithering and cutting through the green patches, headed straight towards the woman.

"HYAAAH!" She screamed and quickly threw away Tsuna's arm from her thin hands. The snakes stopped following after her and they moved to Tsuna, wrapping around him contently. Tsuna stared at them in awe and slowly ran his bruised and burnt fingers along the smooth scales of one of the snakes curiously. When Miss Popritte saw the friendly way Tsuna and the snakes were treating each other, she bit her quivering bottom lip and then spat out angrily. "Freaks!" And then she hurried back into the safety of the orphanage.

Mukuro chuckled, lifting a hand up to his chin in contemplation. "I wonder what this place would look like... if it were engulfed in flames...?"

"Rokudo... Mukuro..." The name came from the boy's lips testily and the man immediately turned his attention on the boy, smiling affectionately as his name was spoken. Mukuro knelt before Tsuna again and traced a hand along one of the snakes wrapped along the boy's left leg. Then, he turned his blue eye towards the arm Miss Popritte had been holding earlier.

"Let me see." The blue haired man gestured to Tsuna's arm but the chestnut haired boy ignored his request and lifted a hand up to point at the man's red eye.

"Your eye was glowing..."

"Oya? You can see?" Mukuro smirked and the number in his eye returned to its usual six again. The snakes disappeared and Tsuna gasped in surprise, searching around him for the lost snakes. "Then, that only proves that you are truly the one I have been looking for. Now let me see your arm."

"The one you are looking for...?" Tsuna asked curiously. But then the man grabbed him quickly by the arm, causing the boy to yelp and writhe in pain. Tsuna's free hand shot up to clutch his chest and the boy's breathing picked up abnormally, gasping and gagging for air. Mukuro quickly released the boy and a sad smile appeared across his lips.

"Yes, you are the one..." The man watched as a deep burn seared across Tsuna's arm, right at the exact place he had just touched him. "The curse is still so strong even now... even when I am wearing these gloves."

Tsuna gulped in deep breaths of air, skin still crawling and shivering from the sudden burst of pain. He turned his amber eyes to the new burn on his arm. This pain... it was more severe than anything he had ever felt in his life! Not only had his arm burned and stung like he had poured alcohol over an open wound, his heart had constricted painfully and a stabbing and burning sensation had been eating into his chest cavity, causing him to forget how to breathe. He turned his eyes back on Mukuro and he panted breathlessly, the pain of his burning chest and arm still throbbing. Who was this man exactly? And why was he looking for him?

Mukuro smiled gently and stood up, staring up at the cloudless sky and sun biting down upon the land. "You and I... we share a deep connection from a long long time ago..."

"Eh...?" Tsuna blinked his large amber colored eyes, staring up at the man who looked so alone standing there by himself. The boy stood up to stand beside the man. Mukuro let his gaze fall down on the boy beside him and then smiled. He reached a gloved hand out to the boy's cheek. Tsuna gulped once, wondering if it would hurt again, and he squinted an eye closed, prepared for pain. But Mukuro's fingers stopped a breath away from his face and Tsuna watched as the man's eyes drooped slightly closed, as though reminiscing forgotten feelings and memories. Mukuro's thumb brushed gently over the air, as if the air had become a glass shield, preventing the man from touching and caressing Tsuna's cheek with his thumb. Then, the man pulled his hand away and let it drop by his side limply.

"Well then..." Mukuro let his usual eerie smile paste over his face again. "...shall we leave this hell?"

Tsuna blinked in surprise. "What? I'm leaving here...?" Mukuro chuckled and nodded. After a second of contemplation, the boy glanced at the cellar where he spent most of his life imprisoned in. "Wait just a second...!" He waved for the blue haired man to wait for him and Mukuro followed behind, watching the small boy jog slowly towards the cellar, tripping over the patches of grass along the way. The man chuckled again and easily caught up with Tsuna, moving to stand behind the boy in interest. The man's eyes softened as he watched a happy smile spread across Tsuna's cracked lips and bruised mouth.

"I'm gonna be gone for a while. I'm not sure where I'm going... but I promise I'll come back and visit again one day!"

Mukuro peered in curiously, wondering who Tsuna was talking to. As he pressed his face against the bars on the window—just as Tsuna was doing—he watched the white flower, glowing palely in the cellar, bristle in a non-existent wind. The man felt a familiar warmth brush his face, as though it were kissing him in thanks, and a smirk rose on his lips as he watched Tsuna close his eyes when the warm air moved to rustle his hair. The boy's eyes fluttered open and he smiled sadly at the flower. "Bye bye. I'll be back...!" The boy turned to gaze at a thick tree branch hanging low and close to the outer wall, eyes unfocused from remembering a deep memory from long ago. And then, after muttering a soft 'bye' to the tree branch, Tsuna whipped his head around to face Mukuro, staring at him with amber eyes full of trust.

Mukuro watched the boy for a moment, shaking his head at the boy's naivety. That was something that never changed did it? Aura's unending innocence and naivety. He chuckled and lifted one of his gloved hands up to his face, pressing his fingers against his forehead and his palm against one eye. "Kufufufu... you shouldn't trust me too much, Sawada Tsunayoshi. You don't even know who I truly am yet."

"But I will know sooner or later." Tsuna smiled gently and cutely despite his face full of burns and bruises. "You said, 'yet'. So that means I will know one day."

Mukuro let his blue eye fall upon the chestnut haired boy, watching the boy with a mysterious look. And then he closed his eyes, chuckling softly again. "Yes, I suppose so... anyway, it looks like I can't burn this place down then. Since you have a friend here. Come, let us walk and you can tell me who your friend is." The blue haired man started to stroll back towards the creaking gate, followed slowly by the amber eyed boy.

"Eh?" Tsuna yelped in surprise while staring wide-eyed at Mukuro's back. "You were going to burn down the orphanage?"

"Yes." Mukuro said simply and bluntly, not even trying to conceal his previous intentions. "Although a pyro would probably do a more thorough and cleaner job than I could... but there aren't too many pyros these days..."

Tsuna's jaw hung open as he listened to the man's words. Just exactly... who was he following right now...? Mukuro had mentioned that he was a traveling sorcerer. What sort of sorcerer was he...? A sorcerer who could summon animals? The boy felt a pair of eyes on him and he almost squeaked in fright when he found himself only an inch away from colliding into Mukuro's chest. The man was smiling down at him again.

"Ah, little Tsunayoshi-kun. You are quite different from the others I've met so far."

"Huh?" Tsuna blinked and tilted his head to the side questionably. Others? What others...?

"You can actually find it in yourself to care for those people who treated you so badly...?" Mukuro eyed the dull burn mark on Tsuna's arm, the place where Miss Popritte had grasped him harshly by earlier. "Could it be possible that you...?"

Tsuna frowned slightly, wondering why Mukuro was asking him a question with such an obvious answer. Of course he would care for the people at the orphanage. They were... his only family! And despite the way he was being treated, he had never thought about leaving because they needed him. They needed them, even if it was only to fit the role of punching bag and allow them to vent their frustrations and wrath upon him, all accumulated from living poorly. But now... it would probably be okay to leave them. Mukuro needed him more. For what reason, he did not know. But Mukuro needed him. The man had traveled from who knows where just to find him. It was... only right to follow after him, wasn't it? It was only right to follow, even if it meant having to leave his family, home, and his precious memories of tree branches and cold, grey-blue eyes behind.

"Could it be possible that you hurt..." Mukuro repeated again, staring down at the boy with narrowed eyes. "...when _anyone_ touches you?"

Tsuna blushed faintly and glanced downwards sheepishly. Mukuro frowned. The boy shuffled from foot to foot uneasily under the man's gaze. "Every time the foster parents came and tried to pat my head, it would hurt a lot. I would start to squirm even under their gentle touches. Miss Popritte always sent me immediately to the cellar after that. It's... pathetic, isn't it...?"

"No..." Mukuro sighed and turned his head away from Tsuna, starting to walk down the path again. "It's... amazing... that you value humanity so much." He whispered mostly to himself and Tsuna jogged up behind the sorcerer so that he could hear better.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you the first time. Could you repeat that again, Mukuro-san...?" He murmured timidly, wondering if he would be allowed to ask. Mukuro turned his head to glance briefly at the boy. Then a smile crept across his lips.

"What are you doing back there? Since we're traveling together, we should walk side-by-side."

Tsuna tensed, startled by the suggestion. "B-But... I'm slower than you. If we walked beside each other... you'd have to walk slower. At least if I walk behind you and fall behind, I can run to catch up without having to bother you..."

Mukuro stared incredulously at the boy and then shook his head. "Would you rather me tie a string to your neck and keep you on a leash then? How am I supposed to know you're still following me if you keep walking behind?"

The chestnut haired boy blushed and shook his head vigorously before moving quickly up to walk alongside Mukuro. The blue haired man smiled and after a few seconds of walking in silence, took three large steps forward playfully. He chuckled to himself as his ears picked up a sharp gasp from Tsuna and heard the boy scramble forward through the red brown leaves on the path in order to catch up.

"Relax, Tsunayoshi-kun. I won't hurt you for not keeping up with me." Mukuro laughed and watched the boy lower his head shyly. "We still have quite a long way before we reach the next town. Why don't I tell you something about myself...?"

Tsuna stared at the man in interest. "You're going to tell me something about yourself...?"

Mukuro smiled mysteriously and then instantly sprung a question on the boy, "How old are you now?"

"Eh?" The boy blinked, wondering why they were suddenly talking about how old he was and not about Mukuro. "Umm... I'm about sixteen years old..."

Mukuro's smile grew wider. "Well then, that makes me exactly three-hundred and forty-two years older than you."

Tsuna tripped, falling forward on his face, and a few birds flew down from the canopy, gathering around to stare at him curiously. Mukuro watched the boy's reaction with amusement. The boy lifted his face off from the ground, spitting a few leaves from his mouth, and then turned to gape at the blue haired man.

"Y-You're more than th-three-hundred fifty years old? But you look like you're only a few years older than me!"

Mukuro grinned cheerily at the compliment and added, "Why, thank you! And I am three-hundred and fifty-eight years old to be exact." He waited for Tsuna to pick himself off the ground before they started walking deeper and deeper into the dark forest. The boy lifted his head to gaze at the three-hundred year old sorcerer. He licked his lips uneasily, and was about to ask if it had taken three-hundred years to find him, when the man interrupted him even before he could start.

"Do you know of Aura's legend?" Mukuro's voice had suddenly grown quiet and slightly lower, like the sound of a panther ready to pounce. Mukuro was staring expressionlessly at the darkening trees, which were growing and branching out into other trees wildly, and Tsuna shivered instinctively, noting in the back of his mind that the man's personality could change in an instant.

"I've heard my family talk about it. But they never told me."

"Don't call them your family." Mukuro turned his eyes to Tsuna coldly and the boy felt his breath stop in his throat, unable to tear his gaze away from the man. His knees were shaking and although he felt the need to hide behind a tree, his legs never stopped moving forward, walking step-by-step alongside the man, as though he were chained to him. Noticing the frightened look in Tsuna's usually warm and amber eyes, Mukuro softened his gaze apologetically. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, the ones you should be calling your family, your true family, are actually always watching over you from the heavens. Please don't call anyone else your family... especially those people who could never deserve to be called 'family' by you."

Tsuna paused and then he blinked once. "Really...? So my... true family... has always been watching me?" The boy whispered quietly. He stared up into the canopy of the trees and they seemed to part slightly for him to see the glowing blue sky. A faint ghost-like sliver of the moon emerged as the tree branches swayed in the wind and a large smile spread across Tsuna's face, laughing happily up at the skies. Mukuro stared at the boy, entranced, wondering how the boy could still smile so cheerfully when he lived such an unfortunate life.

_...would never be allowed to touch or be touched by her loved ones..._

Mukuro's gaze lowered to the ground. "I'll tell you the story of Aura, Tsunayoshi-kun. Aura, the goddess of the mountain who possessed the gift to communicate and command the spirits of our land."

The two travelers moved slowly, slowly, further into the forest and by now the path had turned into one that weaved in and out between the trees, an unending trail of worn dirt and crumbling leaves in every direction.

"Firstly, I should tell you about the land that you live in, since you probably don't know. Our country is split into five provinces. The one we are in right now is called Pyrkagia, home to the people who are deft in the ways of creating and using fire. Whether they still deserve such a title remains debatable... We will be heading to the main city of Pyrkagia, Sidero, to prepare for our journey to come."

"Journey to come...?" Tsuna asked curiously. Mukuro ignored the question and continued,

"The other four provinces are Fotizo, Nero, Aeras, and Gi. These five are the names of the five gods who secretly govern our land and they are also the ones who are forever watching you, your family."

"EH?" Tsuna exclaimed in surprise when he heard the last part. "W-Why... why are such powerful beings my family? How could that be possible? I'm... I'm not such a special person...!"

Mukuro smirked wryly and the corner of his lips twitched as though he would like to retort back. But the man held his tongue and continued with his story. "Long time ago, after the formation of this land and its waters, the five gods lived upon the tallest mountain, in an ancient shrine, harmoniously. But their peace did not last, for they quickly became lonely. So, together, the gods created a little girl for themselves. A little girl who they named Aura. None of them were aware of how much pain they would bring to themselves in the future by doing so..."

Tsuna stared at Mukuro with large eyes. "They were in pain...? Did Aura do something bad?"

"Not at all." Mukuro smiled gently, "Aura and the gods loved each other deeply and they lived happily."

"Oh, that's good." Tsuna smiled at that. Then, his lips parted again, "But you said that they would be pained in the future...?"

"Yes, because soon a stranger from the lands below stumbled upon the mountain and when he set his eyes on Aura, he immediately fell into a mad love."

"Eh? Really?" Tsuna gasped. Mukuro raised an eyebrow at him and the boy smiled sheepishly. "Well... how could he just love someone so quickly?"

Mukuro rolled his eyes and stared pointedly at the boy. "Like you're the one to talk. Aura was a beautiful woman. Perhaps he was a man who didn't need much else incentive to fall madly in love."

"Oh." Tsuna scratched his cheek slowly and when he accidentally scratched a scab, he winced and quickly pulled his hand away. "So he fell in love because she was beautiful..."

"Yes, and also because she had the most beautiful soul out of any other woman he had ever seen."

"Hehhh..." Tsuna voiced, listening intently.

"The gods didn't like the man and so they scared him off the mountain. But the man, unsatisfied, told all his friends about Aura. Soon, people from the village climbed the mountain to see if the rumors were true and when they caught a glimpse of Aura, they were immediately enchanted by her existence."

"Woah... she's really powerful..." Tsuna's mouth hung open in awe. Mukuro chuckled and was about to lift his hand to pat the boy on the head when he paused and pulled his hand back quickly, clenching it into a fist by his side.

"Yes, she was powerful. Not only did the people love her very much, she had been given a special gift from the gods when she was five years of age. This gift could allow her to speak and summon the spirits she loved and to even command them, although she rarely used her gift to command."

"Hehhh... that's an amazing gift." Tsuna smiled and Mukuro smiled back at him.

"Yes, it is an amazing gift... but once she had shown the people what she could do, news traveled throughout the lands and the rumors of a powerful and beautiful goddess were heard by dishonest people. They, driven by greed and thirst for power, sought out the girl and soon the gods knew that they would need someone to always be there by Aura's side and guard her from harm.

"They sent two loyal guardians, whom the gods trusted deeply, to protect Aura from all evil and harm. When Aura first met them, she immediately took a liking to them and they, too, loved her back. Soon, the mountain returned to peace again."

Tsuna nodded happily. "That's good. Those guardians sound really strong..."

"Well, they were very skilled warriors. But they bickered with each other a lot."

Tsuna giggled into one hand, "They sound pretty funny."

Mukuro chuckled and watched the boy giggle quietly. "I think so, too." His eyes fell to the ground. "But then a new evil came to the mountain."

Tsuna's laughter stilled and his eyes widened. He dropped his gaze to the leaves on the ground. "I see..." Mukuro began again, this time in a low harsh tone that made Tsuna look up at him in concern, wondering why he spoke in such a way.

"A sorcerer, one who knew many evil spells, heard of Aura and decided to make the goddess his own and use her for his own advantages. When he reached the top and met with Aura, he was immediately obsessed with her, unable to think of anyone else but her. The two guardians, knowing the evil the sorcerer possessed, held the sorcerer off for many days and nights. But one day, grown old and tired of being unable to touch Aura, the sorcerer—in his delirium—disguised himself in the form of a black cat and he slipped past the two guardians to Aura's sleeping chamber.

"In the chamber, he returned to his original form and then, he cast a powerful and cruel spell upon her; a spell that could only be cast when the person being cast upon were asleep. Immediately after casting the evil curse, the spell killed him and sent him into an endless cycle of reincarnation. From then on, every life he lived, he lived in loneliness."

Tsuna watched Mukuro wordlessly, lips parted and eyes trembling, not liking this legend at all. "And what happened to Aura...?"

Mukuro smiled sadly and turned his eyes to Tsuna as he spoke, "She was also thrown into an endless cycle of reincarnations and although she carried her gift to speak and summon the spirits to her, she would have to live all of her lives unable to touch or be touched by the people whom she loved."

Tsuna continued to gaze at the man standing beside him silently. They had stopped walking now, bodies slightly shrouded by the dark trees surrounding them. "This legend..." The boy started hesitantly.

"Do you understand now...?" Mukuro murmured quietly and his chilling eyes looked straight into Tsuna's large amber ones. "Do you understand who you are and who I am and what I must do?"

"I..." Tsuna felt his voice catch in his throat, words jumbling and mixing in a great turmoil in his mind. Mukuro leaned in closely, letting his breath ghost over Tsuna's face as he spoke.

"You are a reincarnation of Aura. And I am your sworn enemy, the reincarnation of the sorcerer who cast you into this miserable life. And because I am the one who did this to you, I will see to it that you are rid of this curse, no matter how many lives it will take me..."

Tsuna's eyes widened and his body shook fearfully. "No... wait... I can't be... Aura...!"

Mukuro pulled back and watched the boy with an eerie smile again. "But you are. You can speak with spirits, can you not? And when the people you care for touch you, your skin burns and bruises."

"T-That's...!" Tsuna gulped and backed away slowly. "That's just coincidence! I'm not powerful at all! I'm useless... Besides... Aura is a girl! Why would she be... me?"

Mukuro frowned and then took one great stride forward, standing only a foot away from the boy. The man roughly grabbed the boy by his arm and immediately Tsuna gasped as pain shot through his body like sharp fire. His arm burnt as though hot iron were being pressed against it, cutting and charring his skin, and he felt his heart clench and unclench drastically, making it harder and harder for him to breathe. His stomach was churning in a familiar way. It was burning warmly. Something was circling and circling in his stomach. Tsuna cried out in frustration, forcefully pulling his mind away from the warm feeling rising in the pit of his stomach. No, he couldn't let himself give in to that feeling. Otherwise... otherwise... _it_ would happen again. His transformation. And then Mukuro could get hurt...!

His head now felt like pins and needles were pricking deep into his scalp and the boy screamed as his mind felt like bursting from the inside. The boy thrashed, trying to pull his arm away from Mukuro's grasp, but the man held his arm tightly, unmercifully. He heard Mukuro's faint voice come from above him and he gasped for air, looking up at the blearing image of the blue haired man.

"This is the undeniable proof: the pain you are experiencing from my touch. You are Aura, the one I am fated to never touch but forever love." The man released his hold upon the boy and Tsuna collapsed to the ground, entire body weak from the excruciating pain. The boy breathed deeply and greedily for air, coughing and choking as he inhaled the dust from the ground.

"Long ago... about two hundred years ago... I met a woman who could talk to spirits and see them as you did." Mukuro snorted, "I fell deliriously in love with her. Just as easily as the sorcerer in the legend did. I wanted to touch her. To hold her. To keep her for only myself. But whenever I tried to keep her, she would scream in pain and run from my arms." The man's eyes darkened and he stared at the shadowy trees coldly. "The next time I saw her, I locked her in my arms so that she could not run away. I decided not to pay any attention to her cries, thinking that she were only pretending to be hurting because when others touched her by the shoulder, she never screamed in pain the way she did with me. So, I continued... to stupidly relish in the warmth of her body. She died screeching... right in my arms."

Tsuna weakly pushed his torso off from the ground and watched the sad image of the powerful looking man, sagging under the weight of decades upon decades of living. "Mukuro..."

"I had killed her. Just by touching her. Holding her. It was only later that I learned of Aura's legend and that she was her seventh reincarnation." Mukuro sighed and put on a small smile. "I know better now. I am sorry... for hurting you just now, Sawada Tsunayoshi..."

"Mukuro..." Tsuna weakly pulled his shaking body to his feet, using a strong tree trunk growing close to him to support him. "It's okay, Mukuro... it's not... it's not your fault...!"

The blue haired sorcerer watched Tsuna's knees shake and the boy's shoulders tremble pitifully. He smiled and moved to sit down on the dead leaves, deciding to take a rest. Tsuna followed Mukuro with his eyes and then moved to sit down beside the man. They sat close to each other, but their legs were carefully held back and did not touch.

"Well... you know who I am now." Mukuro said casually, staring up at the thick canopy of leaves that were blocking out nearly all the sunlight. "Are you going to run away? If we're near each other, we'll only hurt each other."

Tsuna said nothing. He stared at the deep burn marks on his arms, which were both starting to bruise, and he touched his face with his fingers, wincing as a bruise there throbbed. The boy let his hands drop to his sides. "So... that's... why I'm like this...? I'm... a reincarnation of... Aura?"

Mukuro nodded silently and then added matter-of-factly. "The tenth reincarnation, actually."

"Eh?" Tsuna turned to look at the man. "How do you know...?"

A serene smile graced Mukuro's lips and he chuckled. "Well... I've lived for three-hundred and fifty-eight years, remember? I've met with your previous three reincarnations. They were all girls..." Mukuro tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Funny, why did you turn out to be a boy anyway?"

Tsuna flushed pink and stared at his lap irritably. "How should I know?" He peered at Mukuro from the side sheepishly. "Is that... a bad thing...?"

The man chuckled and shook his head. "Kufufufu... not at all. On the contrary, it only makes things more interesting... besides, you're already like a girl anyway."

"HEH?" Tsuna exclaimed and balled his hands up, trying to defend his manhood. "How am I like a girl?"

"Kuhaha!" Mukuro laughed and sent a sly smile towards Tsuna. "Would you _really_ like me to tell you how similar you are to your opposite sex?" Tsuna gulped and let his hands unfurl and fall meekly back into his lap. He shook his head quickly and Mukuro grinned. "There's a good boy."

And then, they sat there in silence, both staring at the dirt path a few feet away. Tsuna smiled at the path and then turned to Mukuro. The man had asked him if he would leave, now that he knew the full story. But... how could he leave him? And even if he did leave Mukuro, what would he do afterwards? Where would he go? Tsuna smiled softly and traced his eyes along the man's side profile, deciding that he would go nowhere. He had a feeling... He had to stay with Mukuro no matter what. His eyes returned to land on the worn looking path, strewn with damp and transparent leaves. It was the path that they would be following now, leading them onwards to their next destination, Sidero. Tsuna leaned back against the tree behind him and then he turned his head to Mukuro.

"So... we're going to go find a way to cure the curse...?"

Mukuro slowly turned his head towards the boy and when their eyes met, a gentle smile spread across his face.

"Yes."

.:.


	3. A Fiery Companion

.:.

_A Fiery Companion_

.:.

A blanket of darkness stretched above two sleeping travelers and over the canopy of thick forest protecting them from cold winds. One lay in a soft pile of dry leaves and the other sat against a tree trunk, head fallen forward over his chest in a deep sleep. The chestnut haired boy, lying in the pile of leaves, scrunched his eyes together and turned. He turned again, tossing fitfully back and forth. Then, his eyes snapped open, orbs glowing in a fiery amber color. He sat up quickly, holding a hand over his rapidly beating heart, and he swiveled his head around, checking his surroundings nervously.

They were still in the forest. Tsuna's eyes landed upon Mukuro's sleeping form and then he sighed, sagging back down into the ground. The boy stared at the shade of trees above him, quickly recalling the dream he had been having; vivid laughter and pain—swirling colors of pinks, oranges, purples, greens, and whites—amongst wide and mischievous grins. And then, a wall, a tree branch... a pair of cold, grey-blue eyes...

The boy sighed and curled into a ball, closing his eyes wearily. It was the same dream again...

.:.

By the time the sorcerer and the boy had reached the end of the forest, the sun was already riding high in the winds, grinning with its bright visage towards all corners of the lands. Tsuna stared in awe at the vast expanse of brownish green fields before him. Mukuro smirked and nodded his head in the direction of a stone road, where several carriages and wagons were rolling further up ahead. As they walked along the chalky white road, Tsuna wrung his hands together nervously.

"So... about the legend..." Mukuro turned to watch Tsuna curiously, wondering what the boy would be asking after their long journey in silence. "...what happened to the gods and the guardians who loved Aura so much...? Were they... okay, afterwards?"

Mukuro chuckled, "Kufufu... how could anyone be okay after losing the one they loved most?"

Tsuna's eyes fell sadly to the ground. "I see..."

"The guardians killed themselves to follow Aura into the afterlife."

Tsuna's face shot up, staring at Mukuro with round and trembling eyes. "They... _what_...?"

Mukuro shrugged his shoulders. "They committed suicide. They were dying in pain, so angry with themselves for not protecting the one they had sworn to protect. And so, they killed themselves and the gods helped guide them towards the reincarnations of Aura every life she lived." He frowned, tapping his finger against his lips. "But for the past three reincarnations I've witnessed, only one of them had managed to find her guardian again. She only found one though... I have no idea where the other one was..."

Tsuna gulped. "So... what happened to them when they didn't find their guardians?"

"Well... I killed the seventh reincarnation." Tsuna winced at Mukuro's cold tone and he immediately felt remorse for asking. "The eighth reincarnation fell into the hands of evil and they used her powers to take control of the Fotizo province. She killed herself before they could use her to invade the other provinces."

"Eh...?" Tsuna blinked in surprise. "Wait, are those people... still governing the Fotizo province...?"

Mukuro smirked. "Well, yes. But that happened around a hundred fifty years ago. The person ruling Fotizo now is a descendant of that person but I haven't gone to meet them yet."

"Oh..." Tsuna voiced and then continued to question, "And the ninth reincarnation...?"

The man's eyes softened. "The ninth reincarnation... she was my favorite, I believe..." Tsuna watched in wonder as Mukuro stared at the sky in a loving way. The look on the sorcerer's face was so tender, it made Tsuna's cheeks glow red. The man murmured, "She was the only one who found her other guardian. I hated that guy... but she was lovely." Mukuro continued to watch the sky softly. But then his eyes hardened again, and Tsuna felt his own happiness drop along with the change in the man's expression. "She died protecting me from some trouble I had gotten into earlier in my life. We were friends... silly girl. Becoming friends with her enemy..." The man trailed off, staring at the small city in the distance.

Tsuna gazed at Mukuro and his heart squeezed painfully for a second. He lifted a hand up and placed it over his chest lightly, wondering why it had suddenly hurt. The brunet licked his lips and then asked the man timidly. "What was her name...?"

Mukuro turned his head to glance at Tsuna strangely. "Her name was Chrome. Chrome Dokuro... although she liked me to call her Nagi instead, her true name."

Tsuna repeated the name softly to himself and then smiled. "I like that name."

Mukuro observed the boy for a moment. And then he let an easy smile spread across his lips. "Yes, I like it, too."

They continued to walk along the road comfortably, striding together, step for step. And then Tsuna scratched his head sheepishly. "Was... was Nagi pretty?"

Mukuro blinked a few times at the question and then fixed his eyes on the boy again. A teasing smirk rode up his lips. "Are you going to get jealous if I say 'yes'?"

Tsuna's face and ears blushed a bright red that amused Mukuro to no end. The boy flailed his arms about in the air wildly and stammered, "N-no! That's not what I meant by asking that! I just! I just...!"

Mukuro waved his hand playfully. "Aww, you don't have to be shy about it, Sawada Tsunayoshi-kun. I love you, too! I still can't touch you though." He added as an afterthought, pouting his lips out slightly.

The boy's face continued to burn as they strolled. Suddenly, they heard a horse-drawn carriage pull up from behind. The two turned to stare at it curiously and a little old man popped up from the front seat, sending them a toothless grin.

"Heeeey, fellas! Lookin' for a riiide?"

"Uhh..." Tsuna said hesitantly and glanced at the blue haired man standing beside him. Mukuro smiled pleasantly in a way that made Tsuna do a double-take, and the blue haired man bowed politely like a sage.

"Why, that would be very kind of you, sir."

The old man beamed and jabbed a thumb to the wagon covered with thick canvas to keep out the sun. "Well then, hop on in! Although I must say, there are quite a lot of rogue people like you nowadays. I just picked one up a few hours ago coming from west Pyrkagia!"

Mukuro and Tsuna made their way to the back of the carriage and blinked in surprise when they found a boy—who looked about Tsuna's age, if not slightly older—staring intently at a bag of grain lying on its side. Mukuro paid the boy no attention and hopped inside. Tsuna, however, climbed in slowly, inspecting the boy with his glowing amber eyes. Somehow... he was getting a strange feeling from the boy. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the feeling was entrancing.

Tsuna's gaze slowly took in all of the boy's features. He had short, silver hair and long bangs in the front that hung down close to his eyes. The hair at the back stuck up slightly and Tsuna couldn't help but think it looked... very cool. The boy's torso was layered in three shirts. The first layer—Tsuna could see briefly—was a tight looking sleeveless black shirt. The second layer was a white button up collar shirt and the boy had the top part open, leaving his collar to flap freely about his neck. The last layer, on the very outside, was an open dark blue jacket, slightly dusty from a day's walking. Two long and thin necklaces draped from his neck, lying against his stomach. The boy's wrists were bony and wrapped around both wrists were two black cloths, embroidered in silver. His black pants looked expensive and they were snug on his hips, with a chain hanging around one pocket. Tsuna gaped at the boy in admiration, wondering how a person could look so cool. The silver haired boy lifted his head, meeting eyes with Tsuna. Tsuna immediately froze, staring back into the boy's smoky green orbs.

The boy's eyes narrowed greatly and he sneered menacingly like a wild tiger. "What are you looking at?"

"Hiiee!" Tsuna yelped and hastily spun his head down to his lap, shaking his head quickly to show that he had meant no harm. He heard the boy growl and then shift positions. The chestnut haired boy peered up from his lap and stole a peek at the boy again, mouth forming an 'o' as he watched the silver haired boy stare out the end of the wagon, his hand now propped up against a bent knee. The boy was watching the scenery roll by with such a lonesome expression that it made Tsuna's heart ache. He gulped and then mumbled softly. "Umm... my name is Sawada Tsunayoshi... and you are...?"

Mukuro turned his attention to Tsuna curiously, wondering why the brunet was attempting to interact with such an obviously uninterested stranger. He watched as the silver haired boy scowled and turned to look Tsuna up and down in a demeaning way Mukuro did not like. After the rude boy had inspected Tsuna once over, he snorted and flipped his head back to his previous position, staring at the scenery in boredom.

"Idiot." He muttered under his breath. Tsuna gulped and stared down at his hands sadly from being rejected. Mukuro watched the brunet's crestfallen look and then sighed in exasperation. He shrugged his shoulders once and then shuffled towards the silver haired boy, lifting his staff in his hands. And then, the sorcerer began poking the silver haired boy in the leg with the end of the staff, smiling cheerfully.

"Now, now. That's not a nice way to answer someone who has already introduced themselves." Mukuro chuckled and poked the boy incessantly with his staff. "C'mon. Answer Tsunayoshi-kun's question. He asked so nicely after all. Oh, by the way, I'm Rokudo Mukuro."

Tsuna's mouth hung open, wondering why Mukuro was acting so strangely, but the blue haired man smiled and sent him a sly wink. The silver haired boy, fed up by the continuous poking, slapped the end of the staff forcefully away, muttering curses under his breath. But Mukuro paid no attention to the boy's wrath and moved his staff once again to poke the boy's leg repeatedly.

"Godamnit! Leave me alone, you fucking retard!" The boy shouted while tossing the end of the staff away for the second time. Mukuro pasted his most charming smile to his face.

"Not until you give us your name, boy." Then, he tapped his cheek idly with a finger. "Or... oh! Maybe you're waiting for us to name you? What do you say, Tsunayoshi-kun? Shall we name the angry little lost boy?"

"Eh? EH?" Tsuna glanced from Mukuro to the silver haired boy in fright, feeling that a fight could break out at any moment.

"Let's see... you look slightly tired, boy..." Mukuro leaned in, pushing his face irritatingly close to the other's. "Shall we call you... Sloth-kun? How is that, Sloth-kun? Do you like your new name, Sloth-kun?" Tsuna extended a hand out shakily, lip quivering in terror, noticing that the silver haired boy was digging his fingers deeply into the palms of his hands.

"Arrrgh!" The boy finally cried after hearing dozens of 'Sloth-kun's and he threw his hands up in resignation. He slapped his hand onto his forehead and rubbed his temples, "My name is Gokudera Hayato, all right? You happy now, you freak? Can you go back to your stinking little corner now?"

"Awww, you're no fun, Hayato-kun." Mukuro smiled and then shuffled back to where he originally sat, in a corner at the back of the wagon, against the canvas wall. Tsuna watched as Gokudera bristled after being called by his first name already and the boy knew right away that Gokudera was probably regretting his decision to give them his name.

"Err..." Tsuna laughed weakly and addressed Gokudera while nodding his head to Mukuro. "He's not always like that... ha ha... ha..." The silver haired boy let out a small huff. He rolled his eyes and then twisted his head back around to observe the grassy lands passing by. Tsuna scratched his cheek shyly, trying to think of something to say so that he could learn more about the other boy. He wasn't sure why... but something in his mind or heart compelled him to speak with the silver haired boy. "Umm... so, where are you going, Gokudera-kun?"

"Who cares." Gokudera shrugged his shoulders, not even bothering to look behind and speak directly to Tsuna. "Anywhere."

"Is that so..." Tsuna smiled weakly. "I see... well... we're going to Sidero. Actually, I'm still not sure why we're going there... but Mukuro said that we're going to prepare for a long journey. It's sort of exciting actually...!" The chestnut haired boy smiled happily as he thought of all the places and new people he would meet. But he paused when he noticed that Gokudera had turned to stare at him with a raised eyebrow. Tsuna stammered quickly, "Uhh...! Uhh... sorry, I didn't mean to talk so much... erm..."

"HOLD ON TIGHT, KIDS!" The old man's voice suddenly boomed from the front and the three of them had enough time to blink once before they were all bounced up into the air forcefully by the wagon.

"The hell?" Gokudera cursed, frantically grabbing onto the edge of the cart before he fell out. Tsuna cried fearfully as his frail body was bumped violently around by the jumping wagon. The silver haired boy frowned and reached a hand out to help keep the other boy steady, but someone else's hand shot out to grasp his arm firmly before he could touch Tsuna's shoulder. Gokudera's head whipped up and he glared at whoever it was that was restraining him. But his eyes widened slightly when his glare was met with one much colder and fiercer than his own. Mukuro held Gokudera's arm tightly and murmured in a low voice,

"Don't touch him."

And then his arm was released. Gokudera blinked for a second and then growled at Mukuro, watching the mysterious man settle back down against the canvas, watching something stoically. The silver haired boy followed the man's gaze and his eyes landed on Tsuna, who was still stumbling about uneasily. He frowned again, watching the boy struggle to find a place to keep himself steady, but in due time, he saw Tsuna sigh in relief while hugging himself around a large bag of grain. When the wagon finally steadied, the old man's voice chimed from the front again.

"Sorry 'bout that, boys. There was some strange rubble up ahead and there was no way for us to go around it. Looked like some war had taken place there...!"

"Eh...?" Tsuna mumbled and relinquished his hold over the bag of grain, crawling up beside Gokudera to peer outside. There were pieces of wood and a few broken wheels strewn about on the stone road. A canvas, similar to the one wrapped around the carriage they were currently riding in, lay flapping lifelessly against a few of the wooden beams on the ground. Tsuna's eyes grew round and he stared at the mess in worry, hoping that the person who had been riding in the carriage had left safely.

"The wagon was ripped up by something..." Gokudera muttered under his breath, glaring at the scene. He lifted a finger to point at the wooden wheel lying on its side. "See those marks?" Tsuna squinted at the wheel and he gulped when he spotted abnormal black scratches on the wood. It looked almost as if an animal had slashed into it with claws that could burn. Gokudera's eyes narrowed and Tsuna could faintly hear the boy whisper to himself, "...so they're here, too."

The remains of the wagon suddenly burst into bright flames and Tsuna's eyes widened with fright. He stammered and pointed nervously at the wagon. "G-Gokudera-kun...! The wagon...! It-It-It just went up in flames!" But the silver haired boy paid Tsuna no attention, lost in his thoughts. Mukuro sat in the back, arms crossed over his chest. When the destroyed wagon had burst into flames, he raised an eyebrow in suspicion and then shifted his eyes towards Gokudera, who continued to calmly watch the flames dance in the stone road.

.:.

Sidero, the capital of Pyrkagia and the home to the strongest market in the country, was built over with tall brick buildings, extending up to at least three floors into the sky. The streets were lined with intricate brass lamps, all burning brightly with flames despite the already bright afternoon sky. Horses in the capital city clopped about the cobblestone roads, pulling wagons of every size and shape behind them, all filled to the brim with market goods from across the country.

Mukuro pointed to a large marble fountain in the middle of the circular street they were riding through. A few small sparrows sat on the edge of the fountain, dipping their heads in and ruffling their feathers, happily bathing themselves.

"And that, my friends, was built by the governor himself thirty years ago. He completed the design in less than an hour and finished making the entire thing in two days!"

Tsuna's eyes bulged and he leaned out of the wagon, taking a closer look at the enormous and intricately designed fountain. "Heeeehhh? Why would he do such a thing? And it's still so beautiful!"

Mukuro lifted a hand up over his face mysteriously and he closed his eyes, chuckling softly to himself. "Kufufufu... let's just say a traveling sorcerer came by and dared the governor to do it."

Gokudera stared out the wagon irritably. He was leaning his cheek against his arm, which was propped upon his knee, and the silver haired boy yawned into his hand as Mukuro gave them a personal tour of the famous capital. As the carriage left the ring and went down another cobblestone street, the voice of the old man rang, "Hey, boys. We're almost at the market! Where are you headed?"

"The market is a perfect place for us to get off at, thank you very much, kind sir." Mukuro sang back cheerily, in high spirits for some reason or another. Tsuna smiled, catching the blue haired sorcerer's contagious happiness (however fake it might be), and he peered outside again, looking forward to seeing the famous market. A few minutes later, they pulled to a stop and the bustling sounds and shouts of many people chorused through the canvas. Mukuro and Gokudera hopped out from the back and they watched as Tsuna clambered out clumsily after them. The old man's head poked out from the front of the carriage and he grinned until all his gums showed.

"You all have a fine time, now. Take care, fellas! And while you're around, mention Old Man Jones' produce around the marketplace, will ya?" He added with a quick wink. Tsuna stifled a laugh and satisfied, the old man left with a swift crack of the reigns, pulling off at a slow trot again. Tsuna waved gratefully to the old man and when Mukuro leaned over close to point at something to his right, the boy turned curiously. His eyes widened in delight.

"Wow..." Tsuna gasped and stared at the huge market lying out before him upon a grand street full of colorful banners and stores topped with dark red canopies. Gokudera watched the scene idly, standing beside Tsuna with his hands tucked deep into his pockets. He scoffed and then rolled his neck around his shoulders, causing a _crick!_ sound to resound from his neck. The silver haired boy turned and started walking away, back down the cobblestone street. Tsuna spun around and called out in concern. "Gokudera-kun! You're not going to see the market?" He gained no response and sighed sadly as the silver haired boy disappeared around the corner. Mukuro moved so that he was in Tsuna's line of vision. He smiled.

"Sidero isn't actually that large of a place. We might see him again." The man said comfortingly and gestured to the market with a graceful hand, "Let us first prepare for our journey." Mukuro stepped towards the entrance to the market and bowed majestically to Tsuna while sweeping his arm out in welcome. "Shall we?"

Tsuna glanced back at the corner Gokudera had left around and he sighed. Then, he turned around again and the boy slapped his cheeks with his hands, wincing when he accidentally hit a bruise on his face. He nodded once and sent a smile to Mukuro. "Mm!" And then he jogged up to join the sorcerer by his side.

The two males walked slowly through the market; Tsuna looking at the various stalls with glimmering amber eyes and Mukuro stopping by a few occasional shops to pick up a few things. The blue haired man lifted a long leather strap bag from a merchant's stall set up on the ground.

"What about this one, Tsunayoshi-kun?" When Tsuna stared at the bag with round eyes (he was wondering why he had to decide for them both) and didn't answer, Mukuro put the bag down with a pout and rubbed his chin with his hand. "Well, we need a bag for you to keep half of our provisions in. You have to pick at least _one_, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Mukuro let his eyes dart about the bags splayed out over the white sheets on the ground and then his eyes lit up as he spotted another. "Aha! What about this one? Here, try wearing this." He passed the bag to Tsuna and the boy slipped it on without another thought, completely carried away by the man's pace. Then, the boy blanched as he noticed what sort of bag he was wearing on him: a pink little backpack with childish flowers and pink feathers pasted on the back. Mukuro chuckled and admired Tsuna with twinkling eyes. "You look so cute, Tsunayoshi-kun!"

Tsuna hastily pulled the backpack off of him, throwing it onto the ground in embarrassment, earning him an angry 'hey!' from the vendor. The chestnut haired boy flushed pink and he balled his fists by his sides. "Mukuro-san! I am sixteen years old! Not a little kid!"

"Kufufufu, but you're so short you look just like a cute wittle kid." Mukuro cooed and laughed as Tsuna steamed from his ears. Under Tsuna's strict watch, they finally got themselves a large, plain and tan colored cross-body bag, weaved tightly with straw. Tsuna slung the bag over his shoulder and smiled as it settled comfortably against his side. Mukuro nodded, chuckling at how plain the boy looked, and then pointed towards the section of the market stocked full of food from various cities. Tsuna walked up to the food stall and his mouth watered as he stared at the different fruits lined up beside each other in neat rows.

"Wow..." He reached a hand out to touch a particularly interesting fruit with skin that looked almost a transparent red and insides glowing full of heavenly juices. But a fan slapped the back of his hand painfully and he withdrew his arm, rubbing the injured skin gently.

"No touch! Only look!" The robust woman sitting behind the stall flicked her fan out in a loud swoop and fanned herself importantly. Tsuna gulped and backed away from the stall. Mukuro smiled and urged the boy quietly to head to another stall a few shops down where he could flip through all the fruit he wanted. The blue haired man assured the boy that he would be with him in just a second and that he had to take care of a little business first. Tsuna nodded and jogged down to the other fruit stall Mukuro had pointed for him. And then, the blue haired man smirked, strolling casually up to the robust woman's shop.

"Good day, ma'am." He sent her a pleasant smile. "I would like to have..." He pointed at a prickly looking fruit near the top right hand corner of the box, "...that one, please." The woman nodded and plucked the fruit up daintily with her fingers. Then, she extended a fat hand out, waiting for Mukuro to hand her payment first. The blue haired man reached into his pockets and searched for his wallet. "Oops, now where could I have put it..." He made various movements: patting his chest twice, turning his pockets in and out, glancing over his shoulder to see if he had dropped the wallet somewhere behind him... The woman frowned irritably and put the fruit back down.

"No money, no fruit!"

"Yes, yes. I know." Mukuro sent the woman an easy smile and stared down at his boots, lifting a foot up as though his wallet would be hiding down there. Then, the number in his red eye switched to a one. And suddenly, an enormous worm, with snapping jaws and many legs, gnawed its way out from the prickly fruit and wriggled its way up the woman's arm. She screeched in terror and flailed her arm around in circles, throwing the fruit up into the air. "Oh!" Mukuro exclaimed and caught the prickly fruit before it fell to the ground. He placed it back in the stall and grabbed the red fruit Tsuna had been looking at earlier. "I think I'll take this one instead." He beamed happily and then flicked a silver coin up into the air with his thumb, aiming it so that it landed on the spot where the fruit had been occupying. Leaving the robust woman to fan herself rapidly and fearfully, the man left the stall and tossed the translucent red fruit up and down in his hands, humming to himself victoriously as he walked. A gentle smile spread across his lips when he found Tsuna leaning into a fruit stall, asking timidly what each of the fruit's names were. The old woman in charge of the fruit stall chuckled softly and pointed to a strange blue and yellow fruit, explaining that despite its appearance, it tasted very sweet. Mukuro sidled up beside the amber eyed boy and dangled the red fruit before Tsuna's face. He chuckled as Tsuna's mouth dropped open in shock.

"The fruit I was...!" He turned his eyes up to stare at Mukuro in confusion. Mukuro smirked and nudged the boy in the forehead with the red fruit.

"Easy, Tsunayoshi-kun. Just take it."

The boy blushed and nodded gratefully, reaching both hands out to accept the fruit. "Th-Th-Thank you, Mukuro..."

The blue haired sorcerer smiled genuinely, watching the boy's eyes glow in delight as he held the precious looking fruit. Then, the man casually picked up a round and orange looking fruit. "How much for this apple?"

"That'll be three ker each." The old woman smiled warmly and watched Tsuna with kind eyes, smile widening as the boy inspected the jiggling and glowing red fruit in awe. She leaned forward and whispered, "Did you know that although it looks so fragile on the outside, the inside is actually very firm and strong? It's a very strange fruit that grows only at the shrine of Karmella Mountain."

Tsuna blinked and leaned towards the woman curiously. "Karmella Mountain?"

"Only the tallest mountain of our country!" The old woman laughed, wrinkles rippling on her face. "You don't know much do you, child? Oh, and the name of that fruit is Oraia. Because it is a very lovely fruit that many people enjoy. Did you pick that fruit out of all the others? It's a very good choice." She smiled and reached a hand out to pat Tsuna on the head. Mukuro looked up quickly, noticing what the woman was doing, and was about to move to stop the woman when he caught a glimpse of Tsuna's face.

The boy was smiling. Smiling so happily...

Mukuro's eyes softened and he watched as the old woman ruffled Tsuna's hair affectionately. The man saw Tsuna yelp in pain and the woman pulled her hand back in surprise. But Tsuna's hands shot up to hold the woman's hand gently in his own and the boy forced a weak smile upon his face although his hands trembled in pain. The smile was weak and it was almost like a grimace. But it was happy. So happy…

When Tsuna finally released the woman's hand, the woman smiled warmly again and picked up a small golden fruit from the stall tenderly. Then, she gestured with her thin hands for Tsuna to pass her his bag. The boy did as he was instructed, and before he could stop her, the woman slipped the small fruit into his bag, grinning toothily. "Take this. It's name is Hope and it doesn't easily perish. Eat it whenever you feel alone or cold. It will help greatly."

Tsuna gasped in surprise, feeling as though he had just been conned, and he grabbed the small fruit from his bag, putting it gently back in the stall. "I-I can't just take it without paying...!"

The old woman sighed and picked up the fruit again, handing it to Mukuro instead. She stared at the man through half-lidded eyes. "You'll talk some sense into him?"

"Gladly." Mukuro smiled widely and then pointed at the orange apples, "And I think I'll take two of those." The woman nodded and picked the best ones out from the pile and wrapped them neatly in a bundle of cloth. Mukuro pulled out six brown coins and Tsuna gaped as the old woman and Mukuro exchanged their items like old friends and then bowed to each other respectfully. After tucking the bundle of apples and the small golden gift into Tsuna's bag, Mukuro pointed at another stall of dried goods and trotted cheerily past Tsuna. The amber eyed boy merely blinked a few times and then he stuttered shyly, cheeks blushing pink.

"Umm... uhh... th-thank you very much!" He bowed to the old woman, who laughed cheerily back after witnessing his actions.

"All right, all right, child. I accept your gratitude. Now go follow that damn sorcerer who never ages before you get lost." Tsuna gulped and then nodded obediently, waving gratefully again before running to catch up with the blue haired man. The old woman sighed, watching the amber eyed boy stumble towards the dried goods section, joining up with Mukuro again. A wistful smile crossed her lips and she murmured to herself, "So that is the tenth reincarnation of Aura..." The woman closed her eyes and muttered a soft prayer, lifting a hand to her chest, "...may the curse finally end with him, that beautiful, precious boy." Her eyes opened again and she watched Mukuro with gentle eyes. "I wish you the best of luck, my friend."

.:.

They were now resting in a dusty little ice cream parlor that Mukuro had pointed out as having the best ice cream in all of Pyrkagia—although nothing could beat the ice cream made in the province of Nero. Their shopping spree had almost finished and they were getting ready to leave Sidero. Tsuna was perched upon a wooden stool at a rickety old table, licking at his cone of ice cream and smiling brightly at the new, sweet taste tickling his tongue. Mukuro sat opposite of him, sipping idly at a chocolate ice cream float while watching the boy make an entire mess of his face because he didn't know how to eat ice cream. The blue haired man chuckled, causing the boy to pause in his efforts to eat, wondering why the man was laughing.

"Mukuro-san...?"

"Here, here, here, and here." Mukuro pointed at his own face briefly, showing Tsuna all the spots he had to wipe clean. He propped his cheek against the palm of his hand and sighed mournfully. "I would lick it off for you myself if not for the fact that I can't touch you..." Tsuna blushed bright red, wondering why Mukuro kept on saying such intimate things, and hastily wiped his face clean with a napkin.

"A-Anyway..." Tsuna crumpled the napkin and took his eyes off his ice cream for a second. "Where will we be going now, Mukuro-san?"

"Well..." Mukuro twirled the straw in his drink around in circles, "Our goal is to cure that curse of yours. If we want to do that, we should probably find a place that can purify you of the evil spell..."

"Oh..." Tsuna nodded along and licked his ice cream again. Mukuro reached a hand into his jacket and pulled out a worn looking scroll. He rolled it open across the table and Tsuna leaned in, noticing that a slightly faded picture was drawn on it in great detail. Several areas on the parchment seemed to have newly traced designs and dots as well, all of them meticulously printed. "Woah... this is...?"

"A map that I drew myself during my travels." The blue haired man smiled in accomplishment and then tapped a finger over a large part of the country shaded a faint red color. "This is the province of Pyrkagia and over here..." He slid his finger slightly to the right, pointing at a dark blue dot with a black circle around it. "This is where we are now, Sidero." The man lifted his finger and then poked a point on the map at the center where all border lines of the five provinces met. There lay a large star, pinpointing the spot that seemed to be the center of the country. "This is Karmella Mountain, where you used to live many many years ago." Tsuna's mouth formed an 'o' and he stared at the map with round eyes, amber orbs glimmering in fascination. Mukuro leaned away from the table and he crossed his arms over his chest smartly. "I've already paid a visit there. That was before hearing rumors of you being spread about the country."

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked in surprise, slurping up his ice cream. "There are rumors about me...?"

Mukuro waved a hand in dismissal, "Probably spread by one of the foster parents who had met you at the orphanage. That is beside the point. When I went to the ancient shrine, I found out about two other possible places that could either cure you of your curse or give us a hint as to where we should go next."

"Heeehhh... only two places?" Tsuna blinked, momentarily forgetting his melting ice cream, opting to stare at the map intently. Mukuro pouted.

"It was really quite hard to find all this information, you know? Years upon years of travel and decades of researching blindly."

Tsuna laughed and then nodded, smiling happily to himself. He was glad and grateful that Mukuro had tried so hard to find a way to destroy the curse. The boy looked up at Mukuro with his amber colored eyes and they shimmered as he spoke, "Thank you... Mukuro-san. I'm sure all the other reincarnated and Nagi were very happy to always have you there. They must have loved you very much as well."

Mukuro blinked for a second, staring straight into the boy's warm eyes. A faint blush surfaced across the man's cheeks and he let his gaze fall down to the table. Then, he glanced back at Tsuna and smirked slyly, "You can only say something like that when you have a clean face, Sawada Tsunayoshi-kun." And it was again Tsuna's turn to blush and wipe his face clean with his crumpled napkin. Mukuro laughed and then pointed at two red dots on the map. One in the province of Fotizo, which was shaded yellow, and the other in the province of Aeras, shaded white. "These are the two other places I have found that could hold some clue as to how to properly dispel your curse. This one, in Aeras, is a shrine that the most pure of maidens live in. That could be a good place to start because it's quite close to Karmella Mountain. There's also this place in Fotizo, a lake of water that mysteriously contains not a single impurity in it. People believe that when they look into it on a cloudless night before the day of the new moon, they can see the reflection or image of whatever they wish for. That could be very useful, although the time specific limitation may be quite troublesome."

Tsuna stared at the map, eyebrows furrowed together in thought. Mukuro smiled gently and rolled up the map again, tucking it safely into his jacket. "Or we can always go visit your old home first. The ancient shrine atop Mt. Karmella." The chestnut haired boy scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well... I—"

But before he could finish, a loud blast suddenly boomed from the shop next door, drowning Tsuna's words out in its enormous sound of destruction. He yelped as another explosion caused the wall of the parlor to burst open and Tsuna ducked quickly, ice cream cone flying into the air as he threw his hands over his head. Pieces of plaster flew out and Mukuro frowned and stood upright, batting away the rubble with his staff. He moved to the opened wall. Then he turned to Tsuna and whispered a low, "stay there," before leaving out the parlor to inspect the situation outside. Tsuna swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly made his way through the broken plaster and concrete, deeply hoping that Mukuro would be safe. The boy poked his head around the open wall and his eyes widened when he spotted Gokudera standing in the street, wielding handfuls upon handfuls of something that looked like tubes with short strings on their tops. The silver haired boy hurled the tubes into a cloud of dust, and Tsuna watched in fright as the tubes blew up all of a sudden, causing large explosions of hot and black smoke to crack the ground and burn the air.

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cried and but then gulped when the silver haired boy shifted his green eyes towards him, eyes narrowed dangerously, like a feral animal determinedly fighting for its own survival. Something gleaming in the smoke caught Gokudera's eyes again and the boy ducked before a metallic claw nearly ripped off his head. Tsuna gasped as the smoke cleared away and a few dozen mysterious people stood in the middle of the empty alleyway, all wearing black robes that wrapped around their bodies tightly. They each had black scarves covering their faces and they were equipped with two steel claws on their hands, gleaming in the sunlight from being thoroughly polished every day. Mukuro stood slightly behind Gokudera, watching the battle expressionlessly. The man's red and blue eyes moved to land on Tsuna and they narrowed coldly, urging the boy to return inside the parlor. But Tsuna shook his head, unable to go hide and protect himself—despite his internal instinct to do just that—when both Gokudera and Mukuro could be in trouble. The mysterious group of people leapt at Gokudera with such speed, Tsuna's vision swirled. The silver haired boy scowled and successfully dodged all of the strikes, fast footwork taking his body away from the strikes at just the right moments. He flicked out another handful of tubes from his pocket and Gokudera lifted them up close to his face, eyes sharpening and locking onto his target. Just as the person propelled forward to slash him across the chest, he flung his weapons out. The tubes exploded again from an unknown source right before the mysterious person's face, enveloping them both in black smoke. "Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna shouted again, worried that the silver haired boy had been hurt in the process. But the smoke cleared once more and Tsuna sighed in relief as Gokudera stood coolly over the charred body of his attacker. The other enemies closed in slowly and Gokudera frowned, eyes darting from one of them to the other. They were getting too close. Way too close. Tsuna's eyes widened as he spotted one of the enemies clad in black lean forward from behind Gokudera, reaching a claw out. "WATCH OUT, GOKUDERA-KUN! BEHIND YOU!" Tsuna screamed and ran forward as the silver haired boy's attacker lunged. Gokudera swiveled around on his heels, just in time to see Tsuna running out from the broken wall as his enemy slashed out at him with his claws. Gokudera lifted an arm up in time to block but the sharp metal dug into his arm, ripping his skin open. Gokudera cried out in pain as the steel grew hot and burned into his skin, leaving three raw marks across his arm. The boy stepped back, sweat beading on his brow, and he glared menacingly at the people surrounding him.

"Dammit... I won't lose to you bastards...!" He growled and narrowed his eyes at one of the attackers. The person's clothes went up in flame and they screamed in terror, quickly falling to the ground and rolling themselves about in the dust and dirt. But the flames never went out and they continued to lick mercilessly away at the person's flesh, burning them alive. The person screamed and screamed and Tsuna gasped in horror, clamping a hand over his nose and mouth as the stinking stench of burning human flesh met his nose.

"W-W-What happened to that person...?" Tsuna's eyes watered. The thought of being burned alive circled relentlessly in his mind and he swallowed thickly, fighting the urge to hurl. Even though that person had hurt Gokudera... it was too horrible to be killed in such a way... Mukuro spoke up stoically, in answer to the boy's question.

"A pyro. That boy is a special one... it has become quite rare to find pyros in these times. Especially since that incident a few years back."

"Eh...?" Tsuna glanced from Gokudera to Mukuro. The blue haired sorcerer merely shrugged.

"But he seems reluctant in using his power to its full potential... that's quite a pity. And rather dim-witted of him to not do so. He won't stand much of a chance against them if he keeps fighting with dynamite..."

Gokudera scowled deeply at the ashes that had once been a person and then pulled out the dynamite from inside his shirt. He lit the fuses this time and tossed them at the feet of his attackers, causing them to jump away and break their circle around him. The dynamite exploded and sent a wave of dust and smoke into the air, leaving the boy to observe the clouds of smoke carefully. Tsuna bit his bottom lip nervously and his eyes flit about the scene, looking for any sign of the black clothed people. Something caught his eyes. The shadow of someone slinking around in the smoke slowly. The shadow stopped. Tsuna's eyes widened as Gokudera continued to frown at something else in the smoke, unaware of the danger behind him. The brunet rushed forward. The person in the smoke leapt forward, claws extended. Tsuna threw himself in front of Gokudera and his attacker, yelping out a small cry of, "Gokudera-kun!" and the silver haired pyro turned quickly, his eyes widening greatly when he found Tsuna throwing himself right into the line of the striking claw.

Mukuro, who had been watching expressionlessly up until now, froze when Tsuna had darted out unpredictably. It felt as though time had slowed. His body lurched forward to stop the boy, but he seemed to be moving all too slowly as he watched the chestnut haired boy throw himself in front of Gokudera to protect him. Mukuro gasped faintly. Something flashed before his mind. The firing of a bullet. The tendrils of dark purple hair floating before his eyes and the rustle of white skirts in front of him. The soundless yet disgusting noise of a bullet lodging into a loved one's body. Nagi... Nagi...! Mukuro's eyes widened.

"Nagi!" And he burst forward on his legs, racing against time towards the two boys. Tsuna turned his head towards Mukuro when he heard the name 'Nagi' being called out desperately. He blinked in surprise and then gasped as he felt something cold and sharp plunge itself without warning into his shoulder. The boy screamed as the steel immediately seared with heat, eating into his shoulder at dangerously high temperatures, and Gokudera's eyes went wider and wider in horror. The person clad in black wrenched the claw from Tsuna's shoulder unceremoniously and then stepped backwards to assess the boy carefully. Tsuna fell to his knees, sweating and panting from the pain pulsating and splitting all throughout his upper body. He lifted a shaky hand up to his shoulder and cried out when the wound felt like it were being ripped to shreds when he touched it. The boy bit his bottom lip until it bled and waited for the pain to subside. He heard someone collapse behind him and the brunet glanced over his shoulder weakly, vision blurring.

"You..." Gokudera whispered hoarsely, hands trembling on the broken ground and legs suddenly too weak and shaky to keep him up. "Why did you...?"

Tsuna watched the silver haired boy stare at him. He looked so terrified... Why? Why did he look so scared...? Tsuna managed a small smile and his amber colored eyes glowed with unspeakable warmth. "We're... friends, aren't we...?" Gokudera continued to gape at Tsuna and Mukuro stopped in his tracks, watching the two together on the ground. The man's eyes lowered, as he realized what was taking place, and he turned to stare coldly at the rest of the people clad in black. They cowered under his gaze, frozen to their feet after sensing the amount of power he had accumulated over the ages.

He shouldn't interrupt them. Especially when Tsuna had already... found his first guardian...

The person who had struck Tsuna in the shoulder took a step forward again and Tsuna's eyebrows furrowed together worriedly. What should he do...? He knew that if he could only use his powers to transform, as he had done a long time ago at the orphanage, he could easily beat the enemy standing before him. But... he couldn't remember how to trigger it...! And what if he lost control again? He might end up attacking Gokudera and Mukuro in the process! Tsuna's attacker took advantage of the boy's hesitation and pulled his clawed hands backward. The person rushed forward once again, intending to finish the boy and Tsuna grit his teeth, turning his head away and squeezing his eyes closed in terror. Would this be the end?

And then, his body was suddenly quaking in indescribable pain. The boy's eyes snapped open as he felt himself being pulled out of harm's way by a pair of strong arms. But the contact was making his body convulse and singe all over, as though he had been thrown into a vat of boiling oil. Too weak to push himself away from the arms, he screamed in pain and his vision went a blinding white as his head and chest both burst and boiled like hot coals tumbling in an oven. Gokudera grasped Tsuna tightly in his arms, glancing down at the boy in surprise, wondering to himself why the boy was screaming as though he were being thrown into a pit of fire. Mukuro's eyes snapped around, hearing Tsuna's heart-wrenching scream, and his eyes hardened in anger when he found Gokudera holding Tsuna protectively in his arms. The sorcerer ran forward and pushed Gokudera away from Tsuna forcefully, trying to get them apart.

"I told you not to touch him!" Mukuro shouted ferociously at the surprised silver haired pyro.

"What's wrong with him?" Gokudera yelled back just as angrily, wanting to get to the bottom of this before releasing Tsuna. "Why can't I touch him? Are you telling me I can't even pull him out of the way to protect him?"

As the scuffle raged on between the two, Tsuna's hands jumped up to clutch onto Gokudera's blue jacket, fingers clawing deeply into the cloth. His screams had already died out into short, silent shrieks, and the boy choked as he found it harder and harder to breathe. "Ga-ah—! Haa...haa... hah-ah!" He gasped for air and choked as his heart pulsated too rapidly for its own good and his lungs seemed to close off and reject all air trying to reach the rest of his body. Something warm was circling down in the pit of his stomach again. His eyes widened at the feeling. This... this was it...! He clenched his teeth together and shut his eyes tightly, doing his best to ignore the splitting pains and spasms of his body. He focused his entire mind upon that one feeling, deep in his stomach. It was circling... just circling. Circling, circling, circling, circling, slower, faster, slower, faster, faster, faster, faster…!

Gokudera and Mukuro's furious shouts were cut off when a bright flame burst from Tsuna's forehead. The brunet had stopped choking for air and his eyes were closed serenely. Mukuro stared at the boy in awe and Gokudera gazed on in astonishment. The silver haired pyro felt Tsuna's hands push his arms away gently and Gokudera slowly released Tsuna from his embrace, watching the smaller boy step back. And then, the boy's eyes snapped open. His eyes were fierce and his pupils had dilated so much that his eyes looked as though they were glowing white. Tsuna's body was now hunched over, almost beast-like, and his head whipped from left to right, observing his surroundings carefully. Then, his eyes narrowed when they landed on the people clad in black, staring back at him with claws raised. "So..." A low rumbling voice boomed from his chest, not sounding at all like Tsuna anymore, "...you are the ones who are threatening our beloved child?" Tsuna smirked and pounced upon his opponent, causing the person to back away. The brunet landed heavily before the person clad in black, causing the ground to crack, and he growled loudly, reaching his hands out to grab the person's claws. Smoke wafted into the air at the contact and the sizzling of flesh upon hot metal echoed faintly in the air, but Tsuna didn't seem to mind. He roared and broke the metal off from the person's hands, ramming the sharp ends into the ground harmlessly. Then, he threw a powerful punch into the chest of his enemy, sending the man flying backwards and into a wall, successfully knocking the person out.

Mukuro's eyes widened considerably as he watched the boy. "Sawada... Tsunayoshi... you..." Gokudera turned his gaze from Tsuna to Mukuro in confusion. The new Tsuna turned to glare fiercely at Mukuro, Gokudera, and the rest of the people clad in black.

"You all have dared to hurt Tsuna? I will see to it that you are punished. With my dying will, I will make sure of it!"

When Mukuro heard this familiar phrase, his eyes went wide again and then he quickly lowered his eyes and bent down on one knee, lowering his head respectfully. The man hastily smacked Gokudera in the calves with his staff and the silver haired pyro went down on one knee as well, growling under his breath angrily, wondering why he should be doing this. The people behind them lifted their claws cautiously. Tsuna eyed the two kneeling men and then scrutinized the others behind them. His eyes immediately narrowed and then he leapt over Mukuro and Gokudera's heads, jumping from one person to the other at a speed that could match a forest fire's, ripping the claws off of their hands and slamming the weapons against the ground, bending them so badly that they could never be repaired again. The people backed away quickly and Tsuna slammed a foot down into the stone, causing a wall of fire to burst from the concrete, ringing them all together and blocking them from escaping. Mukuro continued to keep his gaze lowered to the ground but Gokudera turned his head around, watching Tsuna's back in awe. The chestnut haired boy walked right through the ring of flames, unharmed by the roaring fires, and just before his back disappeared inside, Gokudera saw Tsuna grin and then crouch down low before leaping swiftly to the side. A series of screams came from inside the ring of fire and Gokudera stared at the burning inferno with wide eyes. Sweat dripped down from Mukuro's chin to the ground as he waited for the men's shrill shrieks to end. And then, the wall of hot flames fell apart, floating and dissipating into the air like curls of steam. In the middle of a circle of charred and unconscious men, Tsuna stood powerfully, fists clenched together tightly. His rag-like shirt had now disintegrated so that one shoulder was bare and part of the bottom had been ripped off, exposing half of his navel and thin stomach. "Don't you dare step foot into my land again, brats." The boy spat and then stepped over the people on the brink of death, moving towards the remaining two males, still kneeling on the ground. He nodded, a frown still upon his face. "I will leave Tsuna in your care for now. But if I see that something has happened to him, I will hold you accountable. Do you understand me?"

"Of course." Mukuro answered with a small smile. Tsuna turned to Gokudera suspiciously and his eyes narrowed. The silver haired boy gulped and nodded briefly, words caught in his throat from the confusion clouding his mind.

"Good. You two had better take good care... of him... then..." And the flame on Tsuna's forehead slowly disappeared and the boy's eyes drooped closed again. Tsuna slowly fell to the side, somehow falling gently upon an area that had not been covered by the destruction caused by the chaotic battle, and his cheek lay against the cold ground, resting peacefully. Mukuro closed his eyes and stood up again, thoughts racing through his mind. Gokudera followed suit and quickly rushed to Tsuna's side, checking to see if the boy had been hurt any more than he had already been. Mukuro frowned and he opened his eyes to stare fiercely at the silver haired pyro.

"Don't—"

"—touch him. I know." Gokudera cut the man off and leaned his head down, scanning Tsuna over with his green eyes. He frowned at all the new burns and bruises surfacing over the boy's face. "What I don't understand... is why?" The silver haired boy turned his head towards Mukuro. "But _you_ know, don't you? The reason why people can't touch him and what just happened. Those two questions are connected, aren't they? And you know the answers to them."

Mukuro walked forward, standing over the two boys stoically. Then, the blue haired sorcerer sighed and sat down in exhaustion, leaning his forehead against his staff for a brief moment. His red and blue eyes lifted to stare at Tsuna, who was breathing deeply into the floor, and his eyes slowly softened. "I guess... I should tell you."

Gokudera frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "...so?"

"Do you know of Aura's legend?" Mukuro started, never taking his eyes off from the boy sleeping on the ground. Gokudera raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"You mean the legend that parents tell all their kids? Yeah, I've heard of it. About the gift and the curse and shit. The gods, Aura, the two guardians, and the sorcerer, right?"

"Yes, that shit." Mukuro smirked wryly and lifted his eyes to regard the brash young man sitting in front of him. "Well... just now, you met Pyrkagia, one of the five gods in that legend."

"Hah?" Gokudera blinked and then his eyes widened. The green eyes darted down to stare at Tsuna. "Wait, you mean he...?" He looked at Mukuro in disbelief and then scowled at the man. "Hold on, how do you know that was Pyrkagia?"

Mukuro rolled his eyes. "His catch phrase is always the same, no matter what time period he's in or how long he's lived. '_With my dying will, I will make sure of it!__'_" Mukuro mocked and rubbed his temples. "The number of times I've read that phrase in ancient texts... I never thought I'd actually hear it being said though." The blue haired man shifted his eyes so that they fell upon Tsuna again.

Gokudera was silent for a few seconds. And then his mouth opened again. "So... wait, Tsuna... is a reincarnation, then...? And who are you? You seem to know a lot about the legend. Are you some freak fan of Aura's?"

Mukuro chuckled and smiled widely. "Kufufufu. Well, you have hit quite close to the mark. I am the reincarnation of the sorcerer, the one who cast Aura into this life of suffering."

"WHAT?" Gokudera's jaw dropped open in surprise. After a couple minutes of blank staring, his hand shot up to his head, running shaking fingers through his hair several times. The pyro muttered quickly under his breath. "This… doesn't make any sense. Why are you two traveling together? Aren't you enemies? And why are you telling me this? I could try to take advantage of his powers. And why did I have to meet up with you guys? I mean, if... if I hadn't met you two... this..." The silver haired boy's eyes darted towards Tsuna's wounded shoulder and his green eyes seemed to go hazy in thought. He clenched one fist together tightly. Painfully. "...this never would have happened to him..." He whispered through his teeth, clenching his eyes together.

Mukuro shrugged nonchalantly and spoke in a flat tone. "Well, you pretty much fit the description of Aura's guardian perfectly. The 'gods' must've guided you." The sorcerer said 'gods' while adding a wavy flourish of his hand.

"Eh...?" Gokudera looked up slowly, eyes widening in surprise.

_...the other guardian preferred to use smaller yet just as destructive weapons to destroy any enemies before him..._

Mukuro sighed in annoyance, knowing that from now on, he and Tsuna would not be alone anymore. "As for your first two questions, I am helping Tsunayoshi-kun break his curse and he seems to like me rather than hate me like an enemy. So I suppose we're not enemies..." The blue haired man smiled sweetly down on Tsuna. "I swear this boy is too naive for his own good. Every person he sees will be able to hurt him. He's the stupidest person on earth..."

Gokudera said nothing and Mukuro tapped his cheek with two fingers idly.

"The tenth reincarnation of Aura... he's quite the special one. Now that I think of it... I've never met a god face-to-face in my entire life so far. Even his previous reincarnations never summoned such powerful beings. Maybe after being reincarnated so many times, Aura has finally developed her skills enough that she can even bring the gods into tangible form through her body...?"

Gokudera frowned deeply when the sorcerer trailed on and on about Aura and the silver haired boy leaned towards Mukuro, grabbing the man by his collar. He muttered in a low, harsh voice, "Don't talk about him like he's actually Aura. He might be the tenth reincarnation but Tsunayoshi is Tsunayoshi and no one else. If he can channel gods into himself, then that's because only he can do it. And no other reincarnation can. Not even Aura could channel gods into her body. He's _not_ Aura or anyone else. So don't say things as if he were."

Mukuro smiled pleasantly and then flicked Gokudera's hands away from his collar. The man stood up on his feet and after promptly patting the back of his pants off, he smirked coldly.

"Good. I don't like you either."

.:.


	4. The Smiling Stranger

.:.

_The Smiling Stranger_

.:.

_Rough bark. A branch. Soft wind and the tinkling and clattering of a rusty doorknob._

_"...who...?"_

_Grey-blue eyes._

_"...where...you...?"_

_Laughter. Pain. Colors again. More colors. All swirling and spiraling, whirling about. Pounding. Head pounding. Aching._

"...udaime? Jyuudaime? Are you okay, Jyuudaime?"

Tsuna's eyes snapped open immediately, head pulsating from the loud voice near his ears. He groaned painfully and tried to sit up, sucking in a deep breath and wincing sharply when his shoulder felt like it had just snapped. Someone pushed him down again, pressing him back into the bed using a blanket lying over his chest, and the boy fell onto the pillows behind him. Tsuna sighed and tried to settle as comfortably as he could into the hot mattress underneath him. Then, he opened his eyes a sliver, glancing blearily about the room he was in. Everything was hazy. So hazy. Where was he...? What... had happened...? What had happened to Gokudera-kun and Mukuro? And those dangerous people? Tsuna's eyes widened and he frantically searched the room in panic. A familiar silver haired pyro's face appeared in his line of sight, smiling down upon him in relief. For a second or two, Tsuna blinked, wondering if this smiling person was really indeed Gokudera. He paused. And then, he licked his lips uncertainly.

"...Gokudera...kun...?"

The silver haired boy beamed and his eyes nearly sparkled with joy. "Jyuudaime! You're awake!"

"J-Jyuudaime...? Who's that...?" Tsuna mumbled, blinking again, now fully awake and aware. When had this personality change undergone? When had angry, stormy, fiery Gokudera turned into happy, gleeful, sparkly Gokudera?

"You, of course! Jyuudaime means Tenth in my home language, so I thought I'd call you that… since you're still the tenth reincarnation and all…" He became slightly subdued as he murmured out the words, but then quickly bounced back into his overly friendly persona, "After all, calling you by name would just be too disrespectful!" The silver haired boy grinned. Tsuna sank into Gokudera's words for a second and then his amber eyes widened considerably.

"Eh? How do you know I'm...?"

"I told him, Tsunayoshi-kun. He's your first guardian, after all." A voice came from the wall on the other side of the room. Tsuna lifted himself slightly off the bed and felt some relief when he found Mukuro leaning casually against the wall, arms folded across his chest and staff propped up beside him. The boy paused again when the last few words registered in his mind.

"First... guardian...?"

Mukuro smiled gently at him. "Remember the legend? One of the guardians wields short and destructive weapons. Like Hayato-kun's dynamite. And you felt drawn to Hayato-kun the first time we met on the road to Sidero, did you not?" The blue haired man continued to watch the boy, but the warmth behind his eyes had faded. "Congratulations, Sawada Tsunayoshi. You've found your first guardian. You don't have to worry about ending up like the other reincarnations since Hayato-kun is all prepared to die protecting you." Tsuna shivered, feeling uneasy from Mukuro's tone of voice. It made him feel... guilty for some strange reason or another. Gokudera growled and jumped up from his seat angrily, almost flipping his chair back from moving so quickly.

"You're mocking me, aren't you?"

A bead of sweat ran down Tsuna's head and he reached a tentative hand out to Gokudera. This was the Gokudera he knew... but now that he thought about it, seeing him like this again made him feel a little frightened. Actually, Gokudera was sort of scary either way he acted...

"Umm... Gokudera-kun...?" Tsuna muttered softly. Gokudera spun around and then kneeled down so that his eyes were level with Tsuna's.

"Yes, Jyuudaime?" He asked gently back, reverting once again to his previous behavior. Tsuna smiled uneasily.

"Erm... what... happened...?" The boy lifted a hand up to hold his head and he blinked for a moment, in thought. "I can remember changing... and then I said something to you guys. And then... I can't really remember much else. I just remember a lot of fire... did you do something to stop me, Gokudera-kun? Did I hurt anyone badly...?" Tsuna lifted his concerned and wavering eyes up to look into Gokudera's smoky green ones. Gokudera was quiet and he merely stared into the boy's glowing amber eyes, watching them flicker with worry. A bright smile spread across his face and he shook his head quickly.

"Nope! Not at all. Jyuudaime is perfect!"

"Heh?" Tsuna watched Gokudera in confusion. He was... perfect? What was that supposed to mean? He had done everything just as he should've done? By whose standards...? Gokudera's? Tsuna blanched. Did he wreck up and destroy everything in the vicinity?

"Down, little doggie." Mukuro had moved to stand beside Gokudera and he was poking the silver haired boy's head with the end of his staff again. Gokudera growled and brushed the staff away, standing up to glare into the sorcerer's face with hatred. Mukuro merely smiled back, unaffected. Beads of sweat ran down Tsuna's head as he watched the two interact. Was it just him, or did those two not get along very well...? Mukuro grabbed Gokudera by the face and pushed the boy forcefully aside, earning him an unintelligent, 'Wuh—?' from the fiery pyro. The blue haired man moved to kneel beside Tsuna's bed and then started simply, "Well, I've already informed Gokudera of our plans and while you were sleeping, we went to finish up the last of the preparations. The rest is up to you now, Tsunayoshi-kun. Where should we go first? The mountain? The maiden's shrine? Or the lake?"

Tsuna shifted his eyes down to the bed sheets, lips parted open in a daze. He looked up again and smiled sheepishly at Mukuro. "Do you think... we can go to Karmella Mountain, first...? I sort of... want to see it. Plus, it's in the middle of all the provinces, right? That means, we can go anywhere from there without having to think too much about the distance, right?" Mukuro nodded in agreement.

"All right, then. Let's set off for Karmella Mountain." The blue haired sorcerer picked himself up and then started towards the doorway of the room. "We'll probably stay here for a few more nights though. You need to rest well because if you collapse along the journey, we won't be able to help you without doing more damage to your body."

Gokudera scoffed and muttered under his breath. "If Jyuudaime ever passed out on the road, I'd think of a way to help him without having to touch him..."

Mukuro shrugged and then turned to leave the room. Tsuna gulped, feeling that having the sorcerer leave so quickly was strange, and the boy started to climb slowly out from his bed, despite Gokudera's soft protests to keep him from moving. Tsuna extended a hand out to the blue haired man and he called out anxiously, "Wait, Mukuro! Where are you go—?" When he stood up, the blanket slipped away from his body and he felt the cold air hit his bare skin. The boy glanced down in surprise. His cheeks flushed pink as he found himself standing half-naked in the room, small torso exposed, and he hastily wrapped himself in the blanket again, yelping a small 'wah!' in embarrassment.

Mukuro watched the boy's actions in amusement and then chuckled. "I was thinking of going to the market to buy you some new clothes. The ones that you wore before were destroyed when you summoned Pyrkagia into your body. But..." Mukuro turned to fully face Tsuna again and his eyes gleamed dangerously, smile on his face spreading wider. "...if you would like me to stay and continue looking at your adorable little body, I'd gladly stay!"

Tsuna's face went red and he sat back down on the bed, squeaking a faint, "...no, thank you..."

Mukuro grinned cheekily, already on a roll, "Oh! Was that a 'no' to getting your clothes right now? Because I wouldn't mind it at all if you went through the entire journey without clothes...!"

Gokudera scowled at the blue haired sorcerer. "You're sick."

"Whaaat?" The sorcerer smiled charmingly. "Don't pretend that you weren't also ogling at Tsuna's bare body when you helped me wrap bandages around his shoulder..."

Gokudera blushed faintly and Tsuna's face continued to burn when he realized that during his sleep, they had both already seen how scrawny he was. The silver haired boy was now balling his fists by his sides and he was glaring so fiercely at Mukuro that the man ought to have died on the spot. The pyro shouted loudly, quickly defending himself, "I was staring for so long because I was surprised by all the bruises and burns on him! You saw them, too! They're horrible! What have you been doing to him before I met you two?"

"Mmm... that's a very interesting question..." Mukuro tapped his chin and then turned to the silver haired pyro with an eerie expression. "Why... maybe I'll just leave that to your young and overly active imagination, Ha-ya-to-kun...!" He winked suggestively, causing Gokudera's face to flush red in anger and embarrassment. Tsuna blushed furiously when he saw Gokudera's burning face and he shouted a loud, "Mukuro!" frantically, to stop the man from embarrassing the two of them further. The blue haired man chuckled a few 'kufufu's and then waggled his fingers at the two boys in a silent farewell before slipping out the door.

Gokudera and Tsuna watched the doorway for a few seconds and then turned to stare at each other quietly. Tsuna gulped and averted his eyes to the ground and Gokudera did the same, lifting a hand up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. Then, the silver haired boy blinked in surprise as he remembered something. "Ah! Jyuudaime, I got something for you at the market!" Tsuna's mouth formed an 'o', eyes turning back to the other boy in slight shock. Why would Gokudera get him something at the market? The silver haired boy reached into his shirt and pulled a small purple container with golden leaf designs on the top. Then, he passed the container to Tsuna, sliding it across the ground gently to him, and Tsuna picked it up curiously.

"Gokudera-kun… what is…?"

The silver haired pyro grinned sheepishly and his hands flit back up to rub the back of his neck again. "It's just some ointment for your bruises. I thought… it might help…"

Tsuna gaped at Gokudera for a few seconds before smiling warmly and pulling the container to his chest like a treasure. A small blush fell across his cheeks as he received his surprise gift. "Th-Thank you…"

"N-Not at all, Jyuudaime…" Gokudera stuttered and smiled shyly, glad that the other boy liked his gift. They stared at each other and then averted their eyes once more, feeling a little awkward being alone together for the very first time. After a few more seconds of staring around the room and fishing through their heads for something to say, Gokudera finally thought of something. He smiled weakly and he licked his lips twice before opening his mouth to speak. "Umm... Jyuudaime...?"

Tsuna turned his gaze to the other boy and smiled softly when he found that they were both feeling just as uneasy as the other. He decided to break the awkwardness between them. "Yes, Gokudera-kun?" Gokudera looked up with hopeful eyes and moved to kneel a few feet away from Tsuna's bed. Then, he bowed with such vigor, his forehead collided into the wooden floor with a resounding thud. Tsuna's eyes went round, completely taken by surprise.

"Jyuudaime! I am so sorry for acting so rudely the first time we met! Nothing I ever do will change what has happened in the past but if there's anything I can do to make you forgive me even a little, please tell me right now and I'll do it!"

"A-ah... Go-Gokudera-kun...!" Tsuna gulped, sweat running down his head as the silver haired pyro smacked his head against the floorboards again. "Wah! Gokudera-kun! Please, stop!" The amber eyed boy reached forward to stop the other boy, but when he moved forward, his foot stepped onto a corner of his large blanket and he tripped forward, feet slipping out from under him. The boy went sprawling to the ground in front of Gokudera and the pyro's head snapped up from the ground when he heard Tsuna fall. He gasped at the sight before him.

"Jyuudaime!"

Tsuna sat up and held his shoulder in pain, eyes tearing up. "OW! Ow, ow, ow!" He rubbed the bandages and then stopped when it only hurt the more he touched it. Gokudera could only watch from the side in worry. His eyes fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Jyuudaime. You... got hurt to protect me..." He clenched his fists together and they trembled from being all too tense. "You... risked your life for me... when no one else would ever do that for me... Jyuudaime..." Tsuna watched the shaking hands in concern and turned his eyes on Gokudera's bowed form. The boy looked so dejected. His silver bangs were falling over his face and he couldn't see the other boy's eyes anymore. He couldn't see those beautiful, smoky green eyes full of such strength and determination...

"Gokudera-kun..."

The silver haired boy lifted his head up slowly, gazing back into Tsuna's warm, amber eyes. They were the same ones that had looked straight at him while saying those lovely words...

_"We're friends, aren't we...?"_

Tsuna sent Gokudera a tender smile that seemed to touch the silver haired boy's face in the way he couldn't do himself. "Gokudera-kun, it's okay... I'm just glad that you're safe. How is your arm? I remember you were also hit by those claws, too…" The green eyed boy stared at Tsuna in wonder and then a large smile broke across his face.

"Jyuudaime! I don't care what happens anymore. If it's for Jyuudaime, I'll follow you to the ends of the earth!" He grinned brightly and Tsuna laughed hesitantly. It sounded like such a corny line but Gokudera was probably saying it really seriously...

After a few seconds of strangely comforting silence, Tsuna spoke up timidly again.

"Er... Gokudera-kun, you... don't have to call me 'Jyuudaime'. 'Tsuna' is just fine..."

Gokudera frowned and then leaned forward in an almost threatening way. "Absolutely not."

Tsuna gulped and then nodded quickly, letting Gokudera do as he wished. He sighed and hung his head to the side. Gokudera was pretty scary after all...! Tsuna leaned his back against the side of the bed and then stared idly up at the ceiling, wondering what to do now. Images of the people clad in black returned to his mind and his eyebrows furrowed together. "Gokudera-kun... who were those people anyway...?"

Gokudera blinked once and scratched his head in confusion. "Who?"

Tsuna pushed himself up and let his eyes fall upon the silver haired boy again. "Those people with the claw-like weapons. The ones you were blowing up with the... I think Mukuro called them, 'dynamite'?"

"Ohh... yeah, dynamite..." Gokudera's eyes averted to the side and then he glanced up at Tsuna hesitantly. "Well... those guys..." He let out a deep sigh and then his eyes hardened, green orbs glinting in the light with what Tsuna could identify as pure hatred. Tsuna swallowed. "They're assassins..." Gokudera spat out and stared at the floor with an intense gaze. The chestnut haired boy gasped as the floor seemed to smoke a little as his companion spoke. "Murderers who don't give a shit about anything but themselves. They'll kill just for the heck of killing. They don't need any reason to take another person's life...!" Tsuna watched his new friend worriedly, wondering if maybe someone very important to Gokudera had been killed by that group of people. The boy licked his lips nervously and spoke in a very soft voice.

"So... they were trying to kill you...?"

Gokudera's eyes narrowed. "Probably..."

"Why would they be...?" Tsuna trailed off when he noticed someone standing in the doorway, blinking into the room in a confused way. "Hnngh?" The chestnut haired boy voiced unintelligently, staring at the tall, black haired man peering into the room. The young man had messy unkempt hair that seemed to stick up and sweep slightly to the side at the top of his head and he wore clothes that were all dusty from travel. On his right shoulder was a heavy looking bag and sticking up from behind his left shoulder was a long cloth-bound object, wrapped flush against his back and ends tied tightly to his chest. The man's eyes fell onto them curiously and a faint blush suddenly lit up his face. Gokudera turned around, immediately frowning in irritation when he saw the young man in the doorway.

The black haired youth smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, the blush still apparent on his cheeks. "Oh! Sorry, wrong room... umm... I'm sorry for interrupting your little moment there... Uhh, just pretend I was never here! Sorry again!"

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked, wondering what the young man had meant by his words. First, he glanced around the room. Then, he studied Gokudera curiously and then lastly, checked himself. The boy's eyes widened when he noticed that the blanket wrapped around him had slipped from his shoulders, exposing a fair amount of skin, and Tsuna blushed crimson, hastily pulling the blanket up around his shoulders again. "Ah! W-Wait, it's not what you think!"

But the young man had already left the doorway in a hurry and had moved down the hall, leaving Gokudera and Tsuna to sit on the floor of the room, staring blankly at the spot the young man had been occupying. Tsuna's mouth dropped wide open. What kind of weird stranger would look into a room and then smile cheerily while implying strange things by saying, "Whoops, wrong room, I'm sorry I've interrupted your little moment so just pretend I was never here, bye"? And wait, why were there strangers stopping in front of doors anyway?

"Where... exactly are we, Gokudera-kun...?" Tsuna asked the silver haired boy and Gokudera smiled in response.

"We're still in Sidero. In a hotel about two blocks away from where we fought. After you passed out, we just got you here as quick as we could." Gokudera rubbed the back of his neck slowly and his eyes fell to the ground. "We tried to lift you up and take you to the hotel... but when we touched you, your body started to shake really badly... we couldn't pick you up without the risk of you falling. Mukuro even said we might accidentally kill you if we held you for too long..." Tsuna's eyes lowered and he sighed deeply. He was so useless... his body caused so much trouble for them... Gokudera continued, "So, we got the hotel manager and he helped us make a stretcher for you. Then we brought you here with the stretcher. We explained that you were caught in a gas leak explosion so he doesn't know anything about you being the reincarnation of Aura."

"Ahh..." Tsuna nodded slowly, starting to understand what had happened while he had been out. He smiled sheepishly at the silver haired boy and scratched his cheek. "Umm... sorry... for being so much trouble..."

Gokudera shook his head quickly, "Jyuudaime is no trouble at all! As long as Jyuudaime is near me, I'll never be troubled again." He smiled with a happy blush upon his cheeks, looking almost like a child for a second, and Tsuna was surprised to find himself liking that smile a lot. The boy looked so happy compared to how he usually looked... it made his chest warm up just by watching the pyro smile in such a genuine way.

Mukuro entered the room again, holding a bundle of cloth in his arms. Gokudera frowned immediately, face reverting back to its usual expression.

"Ah! Mukuro-san, you're back!" Tsuna's eyes fell onto the clothes in the sorcerer's hands. His eyes widened slightly as the clothing looked similar to the ones he had seen in a certain store Mukuro had been staring at for a while. It had been a _women's_ clothes store. "Mukuro-san, you did not...!" He started slowly in a scolding tone, eyes narrowed warningly. The blue haired sorcerer smiled in a syrupy way and he unfurled the clothes from his arms with a flourish, running forward to hold the clothes up in front of Tsuna's thin body, still wrapped in his blankets.

"Hayato-kun, don't you think these dresses would look so cute on Tsunayoshi-kun?" Mukuro held up a small light blue sun dress and Gokudera stared on speechlessly, captivated by the sight of all the dresses lined up to Tsuna's body. Tsuna's cheeks burned and his face grew hot before he quickly hopped away from Mukuro, moving to the other end of the room, still wrapped in his mass of blankets.

"Mukuro! I am NOT wearing those! Go back and find something else!" The amber eyed boy cried desperately but the sorcerer only jumped in front of him, chasing the boy until he had him trapped against a corner of the room. "Gokudera-kun...! Help me!" Tsuna yelped, backing into the small corner, trying to keep himself as far away from Mukuro as possible.

"Gladly, Jyuudaime..." Gokudera smirked and then lifted his index finger and thumb, pointing them at one of the dresses and firing as if his fingers were a gun. The dress instantly burnt to a crisp. Gokudera pulled his fingers to his mouth and blew at an imaginary smoke, smirking cheekily as Mukuro turned to pout at him.

.:.

In the end, Tsuna had insisted that they carry on, despite his wounded shoulder. After getting a proper set of clothes for Tsuna, they stayed for another night at the hotel and the next morning, the trio gathered all their belongings and packed their provisions for the two-day walk to Mt. Karmella.

"I'm ready, Jyuudaime! Do you need any help?" Gokudera beamed, a dark leather bag strapped to his back, crossing over the clean white shirt he wore. The boy drew on a patched cloak that draped over his backpack and clothes, all to keep out any dust kicked up from the road. The cloak had a large hood on the back that he could pull over his head at any moment. Tsuna, whose injured shoulder had been wrapped against his chest so that it wouldn't move and make the injury worse, hefted his bag over his uninjured shoulder with one hand and he clumsily pulled on a similar cloak, using his fingers to hook the front of it up with the strings at the top. Then, he shook his head gratefully, sending a smile towards the silver haired boy.

"I'm fine, Gokudera-kun. I've got everything packed..." He turned his head to inspect the blue haired man a few feet away. "What about you, Mukuro-san?" The sorcerer whipped his long black jacket over his body and smoothly slipped his arms in. After straightening the collar of his jacket and picking up a small bag, along with his pointed staff, he smiled and gestured to the doorway.

And so they set off.

The three males left the hotel and made their way to the eastern entrance of the city at an easy pace. Mukuro frowned a little when he noticed that Tsuna had moved to walk behind him again, joining Gokudera's side. The sorcerer sighed to himself but kept his eyes on the road. A group of people from Sidero were walking ahead of them and Tsuna could pick out a few sentences from the women's gossip.

"Oh my, that's very dangerous, isn't it?"

"But it's true! Only a few days ago, my son had been robbed by that group of bandits. It was terrible! He came ambling back home, head all bloody and arms all broken. I was so terrified for him!"

"Oh, you poor dear! I swear, bandit groups these days have been increasing drastically. What with the revolutionaries rising in Fotizo and that horrible group of assassins from southern Prykagia. Now, bandits in the east... I heard that they have a base near Karmella Mountain..."

"That can't be possible! Aura's Sanctuary, the base of those horrible bandits? It can't be true..."

"Oh no, I believe it is true. Just yesterday, remember that young man who went up to pay a visit to the gods?"

"Oh yes, that grayish-silver haired fellow?"

"Well, he was ambushed! Right at the foot of the mountain! My husband saw it with his own two eyes while driving his wagon. He drove home straight away. He didn't know what happened to that man..."

"Terrible. Terrible, those bandits... someone ought to hang them all..."

Tsuna blanched. Okay... he had been expecting some better news... But apparently, that wasn't the case... He gulped and felt a chill run through his body. Had he made the wrong decision...? Mukuro spoke gently from in front of him and Tsuna lifted his head up to stare at the man's back with large eyes.

"Do not worry, Tsunayoshi-kun. The bandits will not be a threat to you."

Gokudera grinned and lifted a fisted hand up confidently. "Yeah! Those bandits will have to go through me before laying a single finger on Jyuudaime!" Tsuna smiled back at them kindly but his stomach still churned with unease.

Soon, the group of people and the trio came to a crossroads. One lane went straight down another way, stone roads breaking into crumbs of dust, all worn by the ruts of wagon wheels rolling across it every day. The other lane went curving off into the distance, path slightly worn from the people and wagons that went down there. It was grown over with a few small shrubs and several gophers peeked their heads out from mounds of dirt, staring curiously at the people with their beady black eyes. The group of people chattered and left down the straight road, feet pounding into the ground, causing a thin cloud of dust to rise around their legs. Mukuro stared at the sign at the crossroads and then turned to Tsuna, smiling.

"Well, Sawada Tsunayoshi. It looks like we'll be taking the path less taken." He gestured his staff in the direction of the newer looking lane, curving off to the right. In the far far distance, Tsuna could see a few tall trees framing the roadside and the light clouds in the sky were creeping slowly across the clear blue, skimming over the tops of the trees. He took a deep breath and then let it all out, sighing. Then, Tsuna nodded and Gokudera smiled supportively. The trio began once again, down the curling path of white stone.

.:.

It was dusk. The sky was stained with pink and orange all over, stretching into a deep purple in front of them. They were heading to the east and the sun was at their backs, urging them all on with its last breath before snuffing out under the horizon and letting the dark moon take over its duty in governing the skies. Tsuna rubbed his eyes with his free hand, weary from walking for hours on end. They had rested a few times along the way but his feet still ached, unused to such travel. His bag was resting heavily on him and his feet dragged behind. Gokudera walked slowly beside the brunet, watching him in concern.

"Jyuudaime... should we rest again? We'll make it there by tomorrow even if we do..." His eyebrows furrowed together, wondering why the amber eyed boy pushed himself so much. "You're still wounded... you should rest..."

Tsuna shook his head and stifled a yawn with a hand. He blinked his eyes and widened them to keep the lids open. "No... the sooner we get rid of my curse the better, right? I just... can't wait knowing that in just a few days, I could... I could be able to hold other people with my hands..." The boy turned to Gokudera, smiling weakly. "I'm sorry... I'm being so selfish..." Gokudera shook his head and smiled gently back at the boy, only thankful that he could hear how the boy truly felt. Suddenly, the wind blew hard, sending their cloaks and jackets up and out behind them. Leaves leaped into the air, swirling around and behind them. Tsuna lifted an arm to block out the dust from entering his eyes and he kept one eye open anxiously, staring at Mukuro's form standing in front of him. A chill ran through Tsuna's body and the boy involuntarily shivered. What was this feeling coursing through him...? His veins pulsed and his heartbeat pumped wildly in his chest. Was it dread? Foreboding? Something was moving in the shadows of the darkening trees. Tsuna swallowed the hard lump rising in his throat. His mouth had gone dry. There wasn't only one shadow. There were many. Much too many.

"The bandits." Gokudera growled harshly under his breath, pulling out his dynamite from his clothes. Mukuro stepped back, moving nearer to Tsuna, red and blue eyes shifting slowly from tree to tree. A few shadows moved out from behind the trees and they surrounded their group, all holding various knives and wooden staffs. Tsuna gulped and backed away, shuffling as close as possible to Gokudera and Mukuro. One of the shadows suddenly flashed out from behind the tree and Mukuro leapt forward, clashing metal against metal. He frowned as he noticed a long scythe against his staff. It was engulfed in an unnatural red flame. He had never seen such a weapon before...

The person wielding the scythe wore a black beret and his skin was dark, although light colored facial hair grew messily about his chin and jaws. The man was large and tall; much more muscular than the blue haired sorcerer. But Mukuro merely watched the man expressionlessly, arms unwavering under the great pressure being applied by the man. The man jumped back, staring at the blue haired sorcerer coldly, while Mukuro stood up straight, eyes narrowing at the ragged black clothes the man wore. Another person rushed out from behind a tree, bright purple hair streaking through the air, and Gokudera quickly tossed his dynamite out, combusting the gunpowder with his flames. The flash of purple leapt aside before they were hit by the unpredictable explosion and they slid to a stop. Gokudera scowled when he took in the appearance of the attacker; a boy who seemed to have purple hair all over his head, some of it tied up lazily by a rubber band. The boy grinned fiendishly back at him as a strong wind blew his long purple hair out to the side and swept at Gokudera's hair and clothes violently.

"I'll take care of these weaklings, Tazaru-aniki! Don't any of you interfere." The purple haired boy addressed the dozens of other people, all dressed in tattered clothes. The larger man responded with a stoic, "Don't screw up, Nosaru. They look like good prey." The one named Nosaru merely smirked and then ran forward, bringing his scythe behind him and slicing it at Gokudera.

The silver haired boy grunted in annoyance and jumped to the side while shouting to Tsuna, "Get back, Jyuudaime! Stay close to Mukuro, I'll take care of this guy!" The brunet watched Gokudera worriedly, eyebrows furrowed together. Mukuro sent the silver haired boy a look of boredom and then glanced at the other enemies. His lips quirked upward and the number in his red eye swiveled to a 'one'. Vines burst from the ground and then wrapped around all the people present, except for Tsuna and Gokudera. The people gasped in shock as they were entangled in the vines and no matter how much they hacked at them, they could not escape from its grasp. A few buds of peach-white flowers bloomed and Tsuna watched the plants with fascination.

"...flowers...?"

Mukuro laughed and Tsuna looked up at the blue haired man in surprise, watching the man's red eye glow brightly. "Lotus flowers. Aren't they lovely?" Mukuro chuckled and the stems grew thicker and stronger, strangling the men trapped inside. Gokudera scowled and pointed a finger at Mukuro.

"Hey! Don't butt in, you bastard!"

Nosaru grunted irritably as he struggled against the flowers, scythe fallen on the ground. "What is this stuff?"

"I've heard about this before... be careful, one of them is a sorcerer! It's all just an illusion!" Tazaru shouted at the others as one of the stems wrapped around his throat and started squeezing his neck tightly. The man choked and then after a couple of seconds, his movements started to grow more and more sluggish.

"Tazaru-nii!" Nosaru thrashed against the binds, eyes widening when he saw the large man lying limply in the vines. "Tazaru-nii!" Mukuro turned towards Tsuna and then nonchalantly gestured towards an opening in the circle of flowers.

"Come, Tsunayoshi-kun... ignore them and we'll continue along our way. You, too, puppy." The blue haired man waved at Gokudera vaguely and the silver haired boy growled angrily, shouting a ferocious, "Don't call me that!" Tsuna nodded slowly and followed Mukuro and Gokudera out of the ring of trapped men, but before he left, he glanced over his shoulder to stare at the choking people. The boy bit the bottom of his lip and then looked up at Mukuro again.

"Umm... Mukuro-san... you're not... going to kill them, are you?"

The blue haired sorcerer peered down at the boy and continued to smile as the boy's large eyes stared straight at him, all too worried for the group of bandits. His eyes twinkled in the coming darkness. "I might."

Tsuna immediately frowned. "Mukuro-san...!"

Mukuro let out a small sigh. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, you don't have to care about them so much. They're bandits. People who were trying to rob you, even if it meant killing you in order to do so. They are not worth your sympathy or love for that matter."

"But... but...!" Tsuna watched Mukuro defiantly, thinking that killing others was just wrong. "Those people... they must be robbing others for a reason... there must be... something they are willing to protect that we don't know about. A reason that wills them to kill and hurt others... just... as we do..."

Gokudera's eyes grew hard in the darkness as he heard those words and he clenched his hands at his sides. He knew Tsuna was right. He knew it. But... even so, he did not want to understand what _their_ reasons were. Those assassins' reasons for cruelly murdering his people...

Mukuro sighed deeply again and then he nodded his head gently. "All right, Tsunayoshi-kun. I will not kill them, as you wish... but by doing so, you will be putting all of us in danger in the future... for not everyone is as loving or understanding as you are." Tsuna gulped when Mukuro ended his statement coldly. The glow surrounding his red eye faded and the brown haired boy could hear the thuds of bodies on the ground as they were released from their illusions. The people coughed, choked, and gasped for air and Tsuna sighed in relief, glad that they hadn't died already.

Truthfully... he just didn't want to see Mukuro or Gokudera kill anyone anymore... He was worried for the two. What was the reason behind Gokudera's reluctance to use his innate gifts that could easily allow him to burn everyone to death...? What was the reason behind Mukuro's unpredictable moments of using his sorcery that could promptly wipe a town out...? If they could kill so easily and protect themselves by killing others, why did they hold back so much? It was because they knew exactly how much power they had in the palm of their hands. And it could be scary. Knowing that one person had the power to kill another person accidentally. It was just as scary as knowing that one person could all too easily and accidentally snap a baby's neck in half. The power to snuff out and take away another person's life was not something that could be so easily controlled or manipulated. Never without its consequences... Tsuna clenched his teeth together and closed his eyes. He didn't want to see those two suffer from the burden of killing anymore. Tsuna peered at Mukuro's profile, who was now staring emotionlessly at the road before them. The countless number of people the sorcerer had killed in the past... they were all reflected in his eyes and face... That tired and nearly expressionless face that only smiled because smiling was something to do to confuse others. Tsuna didn't want to see that man burdened with anymore. No more! Because if Mukuro continued to kill... he was afraid... all too afraid that the man would grow so tired... that he would even grow tired of living itself.

Suddenly, Tsuna heard someone stand up from the group of people. Nosaru growled in anger, massaging his throat and pulling himself up with his scythe. "You... doing that to Tazaru-nii...! I'll have your heads!" And then, he ran forward, whipping his scythe around his body, sending a strange wave of energy towards them. Tsuna's eyes widened considerably as the attack came his way. His feet were frozen to the ground and his heart seemed to have stopped, breath stuck somewhere in the middle of his throat. A flash of silver leapt into his eyes and he cried when a stinging pain burst on his arms as Gokudera grabbed him and pushed him to the ground hastily. A loud blast came from behind them and the pyro quickly rolled away so that he didn't hurt Tsuna more than necessary. He crouched low on his feet, glaring at Nosaru fiercely, and he lifted a hand up to grip the wound that had opened on his arm after being nicked by the end of the attack. Tsuna lifted himself from the ground and his eyes wavered when he saw the blood spilling from the boy's arm and staining his cloak and white sleeves in a fresh crimson red.

"Go-Gokudera-kun...!" He exclaimed, watching the pyro wince and grip his wound tighter. Gokudera sent a small smile towards the amber eyed boy who was staring back at him in such a frightened way.

"Jyuudaime, it's okay." He whispered softly to calm the other boy down. How stupid of him... to hurt himself and make Jyuudaime so worried... "This is nothing." He continued to reassure Tsuna gently. The small cloud of dust that had kicked up from the blast cleared and Mukuro stood upright, staff held up in front of him. Nosaru frowned considerably when he found that his attack had only burnt Mukuro's hands and he leapt at the man, clashing scythe against staff.

"That's an interesting weapon you have there... where did you get it?" The sorcerer asked idly while blocking the attacks from the purple haired boy. Nosaru ground out through his teeth,

"None of your business...!"

"Oh? Is that so... well, then. That's too bad." The number in Mukuro's eyes changed once again, this time to a 'four', and he easily evaded Nosaru's next attack. In an instant, the blue haired man lifted the blunt end of his staff up and seemingly walked through the purple haired boy. A few strands of his blue hair floated up and then fell against his forehead as he moved. Nosaru blinked in confusion and was about to face the sorcerer again when suddenly, his clothes started ripping up in various places, accompanied by bursts of pain. He grimaced and hung onto his scythe weakly, realizing at once what had happened in that split second the blue haired man passed him by.

"A sorcerer... who is also skilled in combat? I've never heard of it...!"

Mukuro moved towards Tsuna and Gokudera, ignoring the purple haired bandit. He knelt before the chestnut haired boy and asked simply, "Are you all right?" Tsuna's eyes fell to Mukuro's hands and then flickered to Gokudera's bleeding arm.

"Mukuro... y-your hands... Gokudera's arm... it's... it's my—!"

"It's not your fault, Tsunayoshi-kun." Mukuro sighed exasperatedly as the boy continued to tremble beneath his gaze.

But Tsuna shivered and stuttered quietly, eyes watering. "I... I-I just didn't... want you two to be... burdened anymore when you killed other people..."

Mukuro and Gokudera blinked once and then glanced at each other, sharing the same odd look. After watching each other for a moment, Gokudera's eyes softened and he lowered his eyes to the ground. Mukuro, on the other hand, frowned a little. He started to argue, "I've killed many people over the past few decades... a few more won't—"

"I know!" Tsuna shouted in frustration, clenching his eyes together. His voice went quiet again. "I know... but...!" He lifted his amber eyes to stare at Mukuro, eyes shining in the night with fear and worry, and he reached a hand out to the man's face, eyes darting back and forth anxiously. "...your face... your eyes... you... look so _tired_. Tired... of living..." The voice grew hoarser and softer as the boy spoke. Mukuro felt his body freeze as Tsuna's fingers came close to touching his cheek and his eyes widened, staring directly into the boy's glowing amber ones. They seemed to plead to him. _Please... please stay with me..._ A small, genuine smile lifted the corners of his lips and Mukuro watched Tsuna gently before closing his eyes, feeling the boy's touch only a few hairs away from his face.

"I... understand."

The man pulled away and stood up, smirking down at the boy. "But really, you are so silly, Tsunayoshi-kun. How could I possibly die when I still have to put an end to your curse?" Tsuna blinked in surprise and then wiped away at the tears that were about to come, sending Mukuro a faint smile, cheeks blushing lightly in embarrassment. The man's eyes curved up in a crescent shape and then he turned to face the people behind him. "Kufufu... now, shall we settle this...?" His haunting red eye landed upon the bandits and his usual smile crept across his face again. "Don't worry, I'll only knock you out unconscious. I don't want your worthless lives."

The group of bandits backed away irritably, watching the dangerous sorcerer carefully. And then, a shout cried from the back of the group.

"There's another person coming from behind us!"

A few members of the group turned their heads towards the intruder and the rest continued to watch Mukuro with hatred. A wisp of something flew around them and the bandits watched the strange blue colored swallow swirl around in the air, spiraling around them irritatingly. Gokudera's eyes narrowed as he watched the bird and Tsuna stared in awe. It looked... so beautiful. Like water. A bird made of water...? There was an enormous gust of wind that sent a few bandits flying backwards and falling into their comrades. And then a curious voice came from the middle of the road a few meters away from the trio.

"Strange... why are all these people suddenly attacking me...?"

Tsuna blinked once. Why... did that voice sound so familiar...?

And then from the dust, the chestnut haired boy spotted someone in the shadows. He was tall and his hair looked messy, seemingly spiking up in random directions. Tsuna's eyes widened and he pointed at the person appearing from the cloud of dust.

"Gokudera-kun! It's that guy...! The smiling weird guy who entered our room!"

Gokudera blinked for a second and then scowled in annoyance. "What the hell is that guy doing here?"

Mukuro noticed the young man beckon the water bird back to his side and he pointed out cheerily. "Well, it looks like your friend is a swordsman. And he's saving us from peril." The blue haired sorcerer grinned cheekily at the silver haired pyro. "Too bad, Hayato-kun. He's taking over your job."

"WHA?" Gokudera spluttered and glared at Mukuro before sending his glare straight at the young man with dark hair and chocolate brown eyes, who was in turn, blinking at them in confusion like an idiot. Gokudera let out a sharp 'che' and whipped his body around, treading down the path leading to their destination. "I don't like him. Let's go, Jyuudaime. Before he starts talking to us..."

"Hm?" The young man voiced when he noticed the trio standing behind the bandits. "Ah! Hey! I know you guys! Hi—!" The man waved eagerly at the trio, causing Tsuna to stare dumbly back and Gokudera to mutter a short, "shit!" under his breath. The bandits—who were caught in between the trio and the swordsman—scowled, feeling completely neglected by the two groups. It was as though they didn't exist in the four's eyes! But, of course, that was not true. For Tsuna hesitantly pointed at the bandits, wondering if maybe they should all run first before introducing each other and exchanging greetings. The three other males seemed to disregard their situation and only focused on each other; the new stranger smiled cheerily, Mukuro smiled sweetly back, and Gokudera growled furiously. A bead of sweat ran down Tsuna's head.

"Uhh... guys, I think we should focus on..." His eyes widened as one of the bandits rushed towards him with a knife, his reward for paying attention. "HIIIEE!"

"Hey!" The dark haired swordsman sent his bird swooping towards the bandit who was running at Tsuna. The swallow dived down and then circled the man's legs, tightening itself abruptly, causing him to fall forwards and drop his knife. The swordsman frowned and scolded the bandit. "Those are really dangerous, you know? You shouldn't be running into others with that thing."

Tsuna stared at the young man incredulously. Did he not understand that they were being ambushed by bandits right now...?

Gokudera stepped forward, a fisted hand in front of him as he bared his teeth at the swordsman. "I won't let you be Jyuudaime's guardian, you smiling freak. Go away!" But Mukuro grinned and said the opposite thing.

"Why, hello there! I am Rokudo Mukuro, a humble and traveling sorcerer. The one cowering so cutely over there is Sawada Tsunayoshi, and the temperamental one beside me is Gokudera Hayato. Who may you be, stranger?"

The remaining bandits rushed towards the swordsman—as Mukuro finished introducing himself and his companions—but with a few slashes and slices, they all went flying backwards forcefully, repelled by the back of the young man's sword, and they fell into the trees, knocked unconscious, just as Mukuro had warned them they would be. The man jogged up towards the trio and his bird moved to perch upon Tsuna's uninjured shoulder. He smiled sheepishly at them and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry about that. I don't know why but people have been attacking me ever since I started walking down this road... oh, and I'm Yamamoto Takeshi. Nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand to Mukuro and they shook hands casually. Yamamoto moved to Gokudera, who promptly crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head away. The swordsman continued to smile, but a bead of sweat ran down the side of his cheek. Why did that guy not like him so much...? Then, Yamamoto turned to Tsuna and he blinked for a moment, staring at his bird settled peacefully on Tsuna's shoulder. A wide grin spread across his lips. "Oh? He never really liked anyone much. But I guess you're an exception, eh?" Tsuna looked up at the dark haired swordsman and the two stared at each other for a while, amber reflecting in chocolate. Tsuna smiled and moved his hand out, signaling for the water bird. The swallow flew down and perched itself on Tsuna's uninjured arm, hopping along, causing speckles of water to fly out from its tail like crystal in the pale moonlight. Tsuna giggled and smiled at the bird, watching the creature in fascination. Yamamoto beamed and stuck out his hand in a friendly gesture. "You're Sawada Tsunayoshi, right? Mind if I just call you Tsuna?" Gokudera growled in a very unfriendly way but Tsuna shook his head, smiling.

"Tsuna is fine. Nice to meet you, Yamamoto-kun."

The young man smiled and waited for Tsuna to shake hands with him. After blinking a few times, Tsuna gasped and blushed in embarrassment, unused to the gesture. Then, he moved his hand hesitantly towards Yamamoto's, wondering if he should really touch the other man's hand. What if he jerked away from the pain...? Wouldn't that give Yamamoto the wrong idea...? But before his hand touched Yamamoto's, Gokudera leapt in between the two, pushing Yamamoto backwards.

"Don't touch Jyuudaime, you idiotic swordsman. You don't know a thing about us!"

Yamamoto laughed nervously, lifting his hands up to appease the ferocious silver haired man, who was shoving him backward. "Sorry! I just wanted to get to know you guys. I mean, it's not every day you get to meet people twice in just two days. But since you think I don't know anything, I'll be willing to learn from you..."

Tsuna pulled his hand back to himself and smiled sadly, clutching his hand to his chest. The little water swallow flew around Tsuna's head and hovered in front of the boy's face. It cocked its head to the side and opened its mouth to make a silent chirp. Mukuro quietly observed Tsuna from the side and then flung an easy smile towards Yamamoto.

"Sure, I'll explain everything to you, Takeshi-kun."

Gokudera immediately stopped and turned on his heel to gape at the blue haired sorcerer. Tsuna gazed at Mukuro in surprise.

Why was he treating Yamamoto so nicely...?

"But you'll have to be prepared..." Mukuro's eyes flashed and he moved to stare deeply into the swordsman's chocolate brown eyes. "...do you think you will be able to walk beside us even after listening to our story...?"

Yamamoto gulped slightly and then chuckled, a little hesitant. "Erm... I think so..." The blue haired sorcerer studied the swordsman for another second before backing away. He beamed brightly.

"Good. Welcome to the group, our second guardian! Now let's keep going to Karmella Mountain!"

Tsuna and Gokudera's mouths fell open. What? Were guardians found and picked up from the road so easily? Gokudera looked Yamamoto up and down, surveying the young man suspiciously.

"How could this guy be a guardian? He's so stupid looking. Look at him. Look at him blinking at us with those stupid eyes showing us just how stupid and oblivious to everything he is. He's the ultimatum of stupidity. The very statue of idiocy. I bet his brain is just full of air. He's an airhead. A definite airhead." Gokudera continued to rant on about how stupid the swordsman was and a bead of sweat ran down Tsuna's head as Yamamoto smiled, taking Gokudera's every word in stride. Mukuro chuckled and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"But, Hayato-kun... if you recall the legend... isn't there a part that mentions how the two guardians bickered with each other a lot...?"

As Gokudera was about to spout out some more words defining how stupid Yamamoto was, his eyes widened and his mouth promptly shut with a 'click!'. Tsuna shifted from one foot to the other nervously. "But, Mukuro-san... are you sure Yamamoto-kun is a guardian...? I don't want to accidentally drag other people into my problem..." _Especially not a nice seeming person like Yamamoto..._

Mukuro pointed at the sword Yamamoto held in his left hand. The blade glimmered under the moonlight as it was addressed by the blue haired sorcerer. "Remember what the legend said about the other guardian?"

_...One guardian wielded a long and sharp weapon that could slice even metal and stone apart..._

Yamamoto lifted his sword up, inspecting it carefully before sheathing it behind his back. "My sword? What about it? It was passed on to me from my dad." The dark haired swordsman grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "After that, he told me to go travel the world, so... here I am. I was planning on staying in Sidero for a while, but yesterday night, I had a nagging feeling I should head to Karmella Mountain. So I left this morning."

Mukuro shrugged his shoulders and smiled wryly. "Fate's will again?"

Gokudera growled angrily, ears nearly steaming, and then he stomped off down the road to Karmella Mountain, muttering curses under his breath, all along the lines of "Damn bastard, I'll never recognize that idiot as Jyuudaime's guardian!" and so on. Yamamoto watched the silver haired pyro storm down the road in amusement and then moved towards Tsuna's side.

"Is he always like that?" The swordsman chuckled, pointing towards Gokudera. Tsuna laughed and shook his head in response. Yamamoto smiled and then slung an arm casually about the boy's shoulders. He was about to ask which legend they were talking about, but just as his arm touched Tsuna's shoulder and bare neck, Tsuna yelped in pain and pulled away, surprising Yamamoto greatly. "Are you okay...?" The dark haired swordsman exclaimed, wondering what had happened. His eyes widened as the back of Tsuna's neck immediately started to bruise a greenish-purple. "Why did your skin...?" And suddenly, Mukuro was by his side, an eerie look in his eyes.

"Oh yes, I forgot one small detail. Please refrain from touching Tsunayoshi-kun in any way. He can't touch or be touched by anyone he loves, which means all of us by the way. Otherwise, you'll hurt him." Mukuro's fiery red eye fixed itself upon Yamamoto coldly. "So... if I catch you touching him in any way, I will not hesitate to kill you." And then the blue haired sorcerer left them with a swish of his clothes and joined the steaming Gokudera up ahead. Yamamoto's eyes widened considerably. Can't touch or be touched by any loved ones...? That sounded... so familiar...

"Tsuna... the legend you guys are talking about... could it be?"

The brunet lifted a hand up to quickly clamp over the darkening bruise on his neck and he smiled sheepishly up at Yamamoto, blushing in embarrassment. "Umm... I'm sorry for dragging you into my problem, Yamamoto-kun... the truth is... I'm a reincarnation of Aura... Mukuro-san is the reincarnation of the sorcerer. And Gokudera-kun is one of my guardians... Mukuro-san thinks that you might be my other guardian but... if you don't think you are, it's okay. I don't want to have you burdened by us..."

"So it _is_ the legend of Aura." Yamamoto said quietly in thought, watching Tsuna with mysteriously calm eyes. The amber eyed boy blushed under the young man's gaze and let his eyes fall to the ground.

"I-I know it's hard to believe... I don't really believe it myself, a useless person like me a reincarnation of someone so powerful... and I'm a guy, too. Not a girl... which is even more suspicious... so it's okay if you don't believe us... because—"

"I'll protect you, Tsuna."

The words cut off the rest of the brunet's sentence. Tsuna's head shot up quickly and he stared at the tall man questioningly. Yamamoto sent the boy a reassuring smile. "My dad and the monks told me that there was a reason why I had to start traveling. I think this is why..." The dark haired swordsman grinned boyishly and lifted his arms up, crossing them comfortably behind his head, and he shifted his eyes towards the half-moon glowing in the deep indigo sky. "You see, the town I grew up in worships this legendary monk who traveled around the world, helping many other people without asking for any sort of reward in return. So a lot of monks come to visit our town to pay their respect. One of the monks who lived there for many years had a vision one night. He told our shrine that I would have to take the ancient sword passed down through generations upon generations of our family and travel the country. They didn't know why or for how long I would have to travel. So I have no idea what I should be doing or when I should go back home... I've just been walking down roads upon roads upon roads, aimlessly..." Yamamoto moved his eyes back down to Tsuna and he smiled gently while his eyes seemed to twinkle. "But now I finally think I know. I think I know what I have to do... I have to get rid of that curse for you, right?"

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked a few times in wonder, staring up at the gentle and kind young man standing beside him. He felt so at ease with Yamamoto. With Gokudera, he felt afraid sometimes, although he liked the silver haired pyro. And with Mukuro, he was entranced and sometimes, a little uncomfortable. But with Yamamoto, it was... simply calm... He blinked again. "How did you know that we would be getting rid of the curse...?"

Yamamoto chuckled loudly, "Ahaha! Tsuna, that legend is told all over the country. There's almost nobody who doesn't know about it. It's obvious that if Aura were reincarnated again, she would go and seek out the cure to her curse, right?" Tsuna blushed bright red, lowering his eyes down to the floor. Now he felt so stupid for not knowing anything about the legend... Yamamoto's smile faded a little as he continued. "After all... it would be horrible to live a life like that... not being able to touch your loved ones... I can't imagine it." The smile on the swordsman's face returned again in full. "Tsuna, I'll help you get rid of that curse. Whatever it takes, I'll get rid of it."

Tsuna gazed at Yamamoto speechlessly. And then his amber eyes glowed with a warmth that seemed to tickle the taller boy's skin. "Yamamoto..."

The dark haired swordsman grinned and then smirked teasingly at the boy. "And then when you're cured... I'll mess up and play with your hair all I want...!"

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna blushed and shouted in embarrassment. But he smiled happily, glad to have made a new friend and companion. Hearing Tsuna's shout, Gokudera turned on his heels and started stomping back to Tsuna's side, firing obscenities at the swordsman and causing a ruckus among the two in general.

Mukuro glanced over his shoulder, watching the trio behind him bantering together energetically. The blue haired sorcerer closed his eyes and turned his head back, treading forward and leading the front of the group by himself. His eyes opened again and he watched the road with expressionless red and blue eyes, feet seemingly floating across the ground. Silently, like a sad ghost's. Tsuna had found his two guardians. And now... he felt more alone than ever before.

.:.


	5. Spirit of Karmella Mountain

.:.

_Spirit of Karmella Mountain_

.:.

A large mountain stood tall, shooting up into the clouds, looming over the land majestically. The plains were brown, all covered in fields of sun dried grass and weeds, waving gently in the wind. A stone road went winding through the fields and down to the foot of the mountain, where a rocky dirt trail continued up and up its steep slope. Currently, only four people occupied the trail. A silver haired pyro, whose eye seemed to be twitching irritably at the moment. A chestnut haired boy with bright amber eyes, who was blushing to the roots of his hair and staring at the ground in embarrassment. A dark haired swordsman, the second tallest of the group, smiling obliviously. And lastly, a blue haired sorcerer (who was the tallest by half a centimeter) standing at the head of the group, smiling to himself with accomplishment.

"Jyuudaime, just start over again..." Gokudera muttered angrily, glaring at Mukuro, who merely continued to smile innocently.

"Umm... okay... er... cabbage..." Tsuna murmured softly, still blushing from the previous words that had been mentioned by Mukuro.

Yamamoto smiled and sang out, "Eggplant!" The watery swallow on his shoulder chirped soundlessly.

Gokudera frowned and grunted out distastefully, "Turnip."

Mukuro smiled and said simply,

"Penis!"

Tsuna blushed brightly again and stared at the ground intently, watching the stones move by his feet as he walked. Yamamoto continued to smile and Gokudera felt a vein in his forehead pop.

"Err... er... s-sage...?"

"E, again? Okay... hmm... oh! Eucalyptus!"

"Sugar."

"Rectum!" Mukuro answered cheerily. Gokudera and Tsuna winced while Yamamoto continued to smile and seemingly ignore the words coming from the blue haired sorcerer's mouth.

"M-M-M-Milk...?"

"Kiwi!"

"What the hell...? I... I-Igloo?"

"Oral sex!"

Gokudera felt one of his nerves snap. He stomped a foot on the ground and then pointed accusingly at Mukuro. "Okay, that's it! I've had it, what is wrong with you? First, 'erection' and then 'castration'... Now 'penis', 'rectum', and '_oral sex_'? Why can't you come up with _normal_ words? And besides, 'oral sex' is two words!" Tsuna blushed bright red and squirmed every time Gokudera spoke every scandalous word out loud again. He only recognized a few of the words, because he had accidentally overheard some people at the orphanage talk about it before... but he never thought he would hear them again...!

Yamamoto laughed easily and thumped Gokudera on the shoulder with one hand calmly. "Maa maa, there's nothing wrong with a little 'oral sex'. We're just playing a game!"

"You." Gokudera pointed at the swordsman. "Shut up."

Mukuro chuckled and smiled slyly. "Well, I just thought that since we're all males and all, it could be our common theme in the word game!" In the background, Gokudera stormed angrily, shouting something like, 'How is oral sex related to that theme?' Mukuro continued on, "And Hayato-kun, I'll have you know that they _are_ normal words. It's just that people always misunderstand their meanings. You sly, perverted little dog, you." Gokudera's cheeks went red and he started grabbing at his hair in frustration, unable to handle the blue haired sorcerer any longer. Mukuro merely smiled, ignoring the silver haired pyro's obvious fury. "Besides, it's more fun this way, isn't it, Tsunayoshi-kun?" He winked in Tsuna's direction.

The poor little boy felt like fainting over and rolling away down the mountain.

Gokudera continued arguing again as they made their way up the mountain, "But we already had a theme, you freak! It was food! Cabbage, eggplant, turnip? Didn't you catch the drift?"

Mukuro protested loudly, completely offended. "You can eat a penis! Well, maybe not bite it off. That would hurt. But you can still stick it in your mouth and even suck on it!"

Gokudera slapped a hand over his forehead, now regretting the moment he opened his mouth. Tsuna smiled weakly, extending a hand out tiredly.

"Umm... can we just... stop...?"

"Plus, you can eat the stuff that comes out of the penis!" Mukuro frowned at Gokudera, trying very hard to defend himself. The sorcerer even made a few gestures in the air to demonstrate his point. Gokudera seethed and ground his teeth together.

"Okay, that's it... I've had it...! I'm gonna beat some sense into you!" The silver haired boy rushed forward before Tsuna could stop him and he sent a stick of gunpowder straight at the blue haired sorcerer. Mukuro hopped aside before it exploded before him and he evaded every other attack Gokudera sent at him. Yamamoto watched the fight in surprise, blinking at the scene.

"Should we stop them...?"

Tsuna sighed deeply and continued trudging up the mountain, re-shouldering his bag. "You can if you want to try..."

Mukuro watched Gokudera carefully as the boy tried to blow him up with his dynamite. The pyro was brash. Out of control. Unpolished... He frowned slightly and zipped forward, grabbing Gokudera's arms and twisting them behind the boy's back, pushing him down so that his face was sent into the dirt. The silver haired pyro thrashed angrily beneath him and the man smirked, leaning his lips down to the boy's ear.

"You won't be able to protect your beloved Sawada Tsunayoshi with the rate you're going..."

Gokudera froze and he whipped his face around, glaring fiercely at Mukuro through his bangs. The blue haired sorcerer smiled and released the boy before his face caught on fire. Then, he picked up a few rocks, tossing them at Yamamoto experimentally. The dark haired boy was walking casually up the mountain, watching Tsuna walk further up ahead while the small creatures living on the mountain scurried up to follow after the brunet. But when the rocks came flying from behind him, he paused and then pulled his sword out quickly, slicing the rocks into pieces. There were a few stones that Mukuro had hidden in illusions and they slipped past Yamamoto, reappearing behind him. The black haired swordsman turned on his heels and his eyes widened when he noticed the projectiles that he had not seen. "Watch out, Tsuna!" He yelled too late and the stones promptly hit Tsuna in the back of the head, causing the brunet to trip over his feet, falling face first into the dirt, scaring away all the animals that had gathered around him. Yamamoto's eyes went round and he ran over to the boy quickly, waiting worriedly for the boy to pick himself up.

"Tsuna! Are you okay? I'm sorry, I couldn't get all of them...!"

"Ow ow ow! W-wha? What happened...?"

Mukuro clucked his tongue and shook his head back and forth hopelessly. He eyed the two guardians and sighed. "Not good. Not good at all. You two have to become way better if you want to fully protect Sawada Tsunayoshi..." He watched them seriously now, red and blue eyes set upon the two. His voice dropped significantly lower and his entire demeanor seemed to darken with a dangerous aura. "Along our journey, we may meet stronger enemies. People who are as strong as me and willing to harm Tsunayoshi-kun in order to use him to their own advantages. If you can't stand up to them when I'm not there, what do you think will happen?"

Gokudera scowled and glared angrily at Mukuro. He hated that man and the words he spoke. But he knew that the sorcerer was right... Mukuro was strong. He already knew it from seeing all those tricks he did with his eye. There were sure to be people out there as strong as the sorcerer. People so strong, he wouldn't be able to defeat them in his current state. But... if he wanted to be strong enough to protect Tsuna, that meant... he had to use his power to manipulate and create fire... right? But... the last time he had done that... he had lost control and burnt a neighboring village to the ground. The silver haired pyro clenched a hand tightly into a fist, fingernails digging into the palm of his hand.

Yamamoto watched Mukuro calmly and then nodded. "He's right... I wasn't even able to protect Tsuna from those rocks just now... how will I protect him when we're in real trouble?" His eyes fell to the ground and the mountain went silent, with only the faint howling of the wind calling through the mountain caves. Tsuna watched his two guardians in concern. They looked so upset... He gulped and attempted a small smile to cheer them.

"It's okay, guys... I... I can take care of myself when I'm in danger! Remember, Gokudera-kun? I'll be okay. As long as I—!"

"No." Mukuro cut the boy off quickly and watched Tsuna coldly with his piercing mismatched eyes. "We can't rely on such an emergency transformation. You could be kidnapped or even dead before you successfully call Pyrkagia into your body... We can't take that risk." Tsuna swallowed the hard lump forming in his throat and he lowered his gaze as well, a heavy mood hanging about them. Mukuro nodded and looked up in the direction of the top of the mountain. "We can think of ways to train you two later... for now... we will just focus on getting to the top of Karmella Mountain."

The three others nodded solemnly and continued the rest of the way up in silence.

.:.

The once barren road had finally begun to grow with a rich green grass; small gnarly trees were bending upwards, as if they were holding their wrinkly hand-like branches up to the skies, rejoicing. Tsuna stared at the trees in wonder and blinked as a wisp of light-green flew from one of the trees and circled around him teasingly. He smiled and lifted a hand up to brush his finger against the spirit's cheek. The spirit felt like nothing. As though his fingers were not actually touching anything, only the thin air of the mountain. But the spirit giggled at his actions, beautiful laughter ringing in his ears as he tickled it. He chuckled as well and a few other wisps of spirits shot out from the trees slowly, peering at him curiously.

The rest of Tsuna's companions blinked in confusion when they heard the boy laugh softly. They turned to witness Tsuna smiling happily at nothing, hand stretched out and gaze fixed on something in his hands. Gokudera smiled at the sight and grinned, glad to know that Tsuna could at least touch the spirits that he seemed to love so much. It would be terrible if the amber eyed boy couldn't even be touched by the spirits that surrounded him... Mukuro watched the boy for a moment and then turned away to continue upward. The sight reminded him so much of the past reincarnations of Aura. And Nagi. How many times had he seen them with dazed expressions while smiling so warmly at the air in front of them...?

Yamamoto grinned and watched the chestnut haired boy reach out his free hand to play with nothing. "So there's a lot of spirits around here, huh. What do they look like?"

Tsuna lifted his head up, broken away from his world by the swordsman's voice. "Eh? Eh... they look sort of like long bird-like fairies, I guess... There's a green one..." The boy pointed at one of the trees. "And a blue one and purple one over there..." He pointed at two other trees growing beside each other. "And an orange one, too. He's on my head right now." Tsuna smiled widely, chuckling as the orange spirit dove through his hair.

"Hehhh..." Yamamoto watched Tsuna for a moment and then laughed good-naturedly. "Ha ha! I can't see a thing...! So how does it feel like? Having a spirit in your hair...?"

Gokudera frowned distastefully at Yamamoto, irritated by all the pestering questions spouting from the airhead's mouth. Tsuna smiled sheepishly and scratched his cheek—the bruises and scabs had been healing more quickly, thanks to the ointment Gokudera had given to him. The wound in his shoulder still throbbed. But everything would be able to heal in time... Slowly, but surely.

"Ehh..." A shy blush jumped to his cheeks as he continued to scratch his cheek. "Well actually... they don't feel like... anything at all... sometimes, maybe something like warm or cold air..."

The trio blinked at the boy in surprise. Even though Tsuna could see them and touch them, the spirits still felt like... nothing...? Mukuro frowned at the words the boy spoke. He didn't remember the other reincarnations telling him this...

Gokudera's eyes fell to the ground and they narrowed sadly.

"Jyuudaime..." He whispered in a quiet voice, wishing that the boy could be quickly cured of his curse.

Yamamoto's eyes softened. After a moment of silence, a wide grin spread across his face and he nudged his head in the direction of the mountain top only a few meters away.

"Tsuna, I'll race you!"

"EH? B-But... I'll definitely lose..." Tsuna blinked several times and the spirits surrounding him stuck their tongues out at Yamamoto playfully, as if they were egging him on and challenging the swordsman themselves. Gokudera's head shot up at the swordsman's suggestion and he frowned. What did that guy think he was doing? Tsuna's shoulder was still injured! What if he accidentally fell and caused the wound to open again? The silver haired boy was about to protest loudly when Yamamoto cut him off.

"C'mon, just for fun!" Yamamoto grinned so brightly it made Tsuna want to grin as well. The spirits continued to make fun of the swordsman. And then Tsuna laughed and nodded.

"Okay, then...!"

"Wait a second!" Gokudera stomped forward and grabbed the swordsman by his collar. "What if Jyuudaime gets further injured while running? Did you even think of that, you empty-headed fool?" Yamamoto gulped and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. He had just wanted to break the solemn mood that had been hanging around them for the past few hours...

Tsuna swallowed after hearing Gokudera's words. It was true... he would probably trip along the way up the mountain and hurt himself more... and then he'd end up making Gokudera worry again. But... he still wanted to try racing another person... He was useless, pathetic, and weak. He couldn't do anything at all except cause trouble for others... But just for once, it would be nice to just run around wildly without a care... The orange spirit in his hair smirked and floated down to cup a feathery hand around his ear. Tsuna blinked in surprise and listened intently to the spirit's words. And then, a small smile crept upon his face.

Gokudera was about to shout more and teach Yamamoto to be more thoughtful when Tsuna called out his name. "Gokudera-kun...!" He glanced over his shoulder and blinked in surprise.

"Jyuudaime?"

Tsuna smiled gratefully, happy that he had someone who cared so deeply for him, but he shook his head gently. "Thank you, Gokudera-kun... but... can I just try racing Yamamoto? Just this one time only...?" He lifted his hands up together, as though he were pleading, and he continued to smile shyly. Gokudera relinquished his hold on Yamamoto's collar and then nodded slowly.

"If... Jyuudaime says so..." He didn't understand it. Why did Tsuna want to race against Yamamoto when he might become more injured? But when Tsuna's eyes lit up and the brunet smiled at him in such a cheery way, he couldn't help but give in.

"Thank you, Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna chirped and then turned to Yamamoto with bright eyes, waiting for instruction. Yamamoto laughed and fixed his collar. Then he shifted the bag on his shoulder and observed the shorter boy's eager eyes. "Looks like Tsuna really wants to race me, huh? Well, I won't be holding back...! Whoever gets to the top of the mountain first wins. We're pretty close now, so it shouldn't take too long. We'll start on the count of three."

Tsuna nodded in understanding. He had watched the children at the orphanage race around the fields many times and, of course, he was never allowed to run with them. But now, at last, he could race against another person...! The boy's heart quickened and nearly skipped in excitement. Tsuna readied himself and locked his eyes on the top of the mountain, his destination. The orange spirit and the other three spirits circled around him, waiting for the moment of the race to start.

"One..." Yamamoto smirked and turned his eyes to the top of the mountain as well, "Two..." The two boys leaned forward and Mukuro chuckled at their childishness, "...three!" With a spray of dust from their feet, the pair dashed up the steep slope, using the grass and rocky dirt as footholds. Yamamoto's bird flew off of the young man's shoulder, flying overhead and eyeing the two in interest. Tsuna panted, watching Yamamoto speed ahead, and he urged his feet to move faster. The blood in his veins was rushing through his body, pulsing from his heart, to his head, and to the tips of his fingers and toes. It was the rush and feeling of life. He laughed as the wind sent his hair flying back and the spirits flew ahead of him, beckoning him with their feathery hands. His blood was shooting through his body and they pulsed in his feet and legs. What was this feeling...? His eyes darted towards Yamamoto, who was fast approaching the top. Tsuna chuckled and then turned to look at the orange spirit, who winked at him in return. And then the four spirits zipped forward, slightly ahead of him, and they laid themselves on the ground, painting a small four-step dance in the dirt. Tsuna smiled and then hopped onto each spirit. Right foot on orange, spin. Left foot on purple, hop. Right foot on green, hop. Left foot on blue, spin. Mukuro's eyes widened at the movement the little boy made. And then a great gust of wind picked up, blowing violently from the right side of the mountain, cutting through and causing a path of grass to fall flat to the surface of the ground.

Gokudera felt his heart stop when the sudden wind hit Tsuna full on. "Jyuudaime!" He shouted in worry, running towards the boy hastily. But then, Tsuna's feet suddenly lifted off the ground a few inches, cloak and clothes billowing around his body, looking as light as a sparrow. The silver haired pyro stopped in his tracks, staring at the boy with wide eyes. What... was happening...?

Tsuna gasped lightly as he felt his feet leave the ground. He felt the pit of his stomach drop and flip as nothing supported him but the strong wind whipping at his hair. The spirits danced around his feet happily and seemed to speed up until they merged into a mesh of colors, blurring into his feet. And then, he started moving slowly to the top of the mountain.

Yamamoto had turned when he heard Gokudera shouting out the nickname for Tsuna. His throat had gone dry, afraid that the chestnut haired boy had tripped and fallen over during their sprint. But when he saw Tsuna fly towards him, carried over by a strong gust of wind that sent dirt spraying and grass splaying out, his mouth went slack. Tsuna giggled at the look Yamamoto was giving him and after soaring over the young man, who lifted his arms up to block the dirt from clouding his vision, the wind gently set him down at the very top and the spirits left Tsuna's feet, moving up to drape themselves over Tsuna's shoulders and head, snickering at Yamamoto. Then, they flew up in front of Tsuna's face and waved to the boy joyfully. Tsuna smiled sadly and waved to them gently, wishing them peace before watching them return to their respective trees to rest.

Gokudera jogged to the top and Yamamoto slowly walked up, brushing the dirt out of his hair and off of his clothes. The two guardians stopped in front of Tsuna and continued to stare at the boy in amazement. Yamamoto patted off the last bit of dust from his sleeve and his swallow landed back down, this time settling in Tsuna's hair comfortably. The tall boy chuckled at the sight and then playfully accused, "Tsuna, you cheated!"

Tsuna blushed in embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Oh yeah... I did, didn't I...?"

The swordsman grinned and teased the boy. "I demand a rematch. With no flying."

"But then I'll definitely lose!" Tsuna laughed and Gokudera quickly butt in before Yamamoto could say anymore.

"Jyuudaime!" Gokudera's eyes were shining in fascination. "What just happened?"

"Erm... well, the spirits told me they would help me with the race so they showed me this little movement that I can do with my feet... and then before I knew it, a wind was carrying me up to the sky."

Gokudera beamed brightly, gaze full of admiration. "I knew it! Jyuudaime is a great person!"

As the two guardians fussed over Tsuna, Mukuro made his way up the mountain slowly, taking his time to inspect the spot where Tsuna had made the strange movements. Those steps and that small dance had looked very familiar to something he had seen before... His eyes traced the footprints in the soft dirt. A twirl here and then about two feet away, two hops, a foot in between each hop, and another twirl about two feet away. No question about it... the preciseness of the steps and the motions of the feet... it was exactly the same as the traditional ritualistic dance that the people of Aeras had learned to celebrate their goddess, Aeras. Mukuro drove his staff into the dirt and quickly wiped away the steps before moving to the trio at the mountain top. He watched Tsuna carefully, an inquisitive look in his eyes. The boy said that the spirits had taught him the movement...? A small frown crossed Mukuro's lips. Just who was Sawada Tsunayoshi...? It was no doubt that he was a reincarnation of Aura. But there were no records of Aura's reincarnations ever having summoned a god into their own body or used their own body to summon wind. Not even Nagi had that power. From what he could remember, at most the reincarnations would deal devastating damage around them by commanding the spirits to do so. If they were to summon wind, they would tell the spirits to do so. They wouldn't summon wind with small dance movements… Sawada Tsunayoshi seemed to be embracing the spirits and even the gods into himself. He was using himself to channel the spirits' power out...? But... why? Why not just tell the spirits to do so, like the other reincarnated?

As he approached the group, Tsuna looked up and smiled at him hesitantly. Mukuro sent the boy a small smile in return. "You are quite an enigma, Sawada Tsunayoshi." The brunet blushed and shook his head quickly back and forth, denying everything the three were telling him. Mukuro chuckled softly. Who was Sawada Tsunayoshi? What was he? Perhaps he would learn in due time... The sorcerer gestured to the pure white stone path that had started again from the slowly flattening slope. "Shall we carry on?" The three boys smiled and nodded eagerly, stepping onto the stone path and making their way to the pale, silver-white building in the distance.

.:.

Yamamoto and Gokudera had gotten into an argument again.

Tsuna sighed and watched the two boys bickering—mostly on Gokudera's part—a few feet in front of him. The stone path had taken them around the building once already and they hadn't moved an inch closer. So now, they were trudging through the bright green grass, occasionally finding a couple of small stone steps covered in moss as they walked. Tsuna sighed again as he watched his guardians bicker. He vaguely wondered if this was how Aura had seen her guardians bicker as well... did she sometimes get exasperated by them, too...? As he walked, he felt a cold presence behind him and the boy glanced behind, watching the blue haired sorcerer nervously. Ever since Gokudera and Yamamoto had joined, they had little chance to talk to each other anymore. It made him feel... oddly sad. It had only been two days but the brunet missed walking side-by-side with the sorcerer... Tsuna's eyes shifted to his guardians and then they darted back to Mukuro. Would they notice if he...? He blushed faintly and tried to subtly slow his steps as inconspicuously as possible. The watery swallow sitting on his head stared at him curiously and then turned its head towards the sorcerer, watching as the blue haired man seemed to grow closer and closer by the second.

Mukuro tried to pretend he didn't notice Tsuna slowly inch towards his side. But internally, he was already bursting with laughter. The boy was really bad at being subtle...! The man lifted a hand up to his mouth to smother the laughter that threatened to spill out. But when he saw Tsuna's blushing face, the sorcerer let out a soft, 'pfft!' and Tsuna jumped like a tiny rabbit, sweat running from his head in rivers and blush on his cheeks growing stronger by the second. Mukuro clamped his hand over his mouth tightly and his body trembled as he tried to still the ungraceful laughter bubbling in his stomach. Finally, the mirth subsided and he sent a sly smile at the boy. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, you are just too cute for words. Did you miss me that much?" He chuckled as Tsuna's ears went red.

"N-No..." Tsuna replied as normally as possible but his head was reeling from embarrassment at being found out. The smile on Mukuro's face widened.

"Well, I missed you. If I could touch you, I'd be hugging you so tightly you wouldn't possibly be able to breathe!"

Tsuna's face burned an even fiercer red. He murmured hastily without thinking. "...t-then wouldn't I die...?" After he spoke those words, the boy's eyes widened in realization and he closed his mouth a second too late. Tsuna slowly turned to peer at Mukuro and gulped when he found an eerie smile pasted to the sorcerer's face. It was the smile that always sent shivers down his spine.

"Yes," Mukuro agreed in a casual voice. His eyes had moved to fix upon the pale building in the distance. "I suppose you would die, wouldn't you?"

Tsuna watched the man with trembling eyes. "Mukuro... I didn't mean to say that..."

Mukuro waved a hand in dismissal. "It's all right, Sawada Tsunayoshi. It's all in the past. We need not linger on it."

The brunet swallowed and then lowered his eyes, striding along with the blue haired man through the grass silently. Mukuro had been obviously scarred by the death of his first loved one. She had died. Right in his arms...! And he had been so stupid to say such a thing... Tsuna bit his bottom lip and chewed on it. This was not how he had wanted his walk with Mukuro to go. And now... he had no idea what to say anymore... Maybe if Nagi were here now, she would know what to do...? After all, Mukuro seemed to like Nagi a lot...

Mukuro continued to watch the shrine move ever closer towards them. It looked more decrepit than the last time he had seen it. He could see roots gnawing through the small cracks in the walls, making the cracks larger and larger as time marched on, and parts of the pillars were crumbling. But somehow... that only made the place look even more tragically beautiful.

"Nagi..." The voice of the boy beside him suddenly surprised Mukuro. "...you called me, Nagi."

Mukuro turned his head to stare at the boy standing beside him. The boy was steadily falling behind and the sorcerer slowed his own steps to keep in pace with him. Tsuna continued softly.

"During that time, when I threw myself in front of Gokudera-kun... you called me, Nagi."

The blue haired sorcerer winced inwardly, remembering that particular moment all too clearly. He had been glad that Tsuna hadn't brought up the subject before. But he knew that it would inevitably come up sometime soon...

Mukuro kept his lips sealed.

When the man didn't say anything, Tsuna lifted his head up slowly to give him a timid smile.

"Nagi... is a really important person to you, isn't she?"

Mukuro watched the boy for a moment and then his eyes slowly lowered to the ground. That time, he didn't know what had come over him. For a split second, he had thought that Tsuna was Nagi. But he hadn't meant to treat the boy like Nagi at all. And now the boy probably felt as though he were unimportant and useless in comparison to Nagi. He didn't intend to make him feel that way...

"...Tsunayoshi-kun... I..."

The smile on Tsuna's lips grew and he stared at the sorcerer warmly. "It's okay, Mukuro-san. I understand."

"Tsunayo—?" Mukuro blinked, not expecting such an answer.

"If it helps you, I don't mind if you think of me as Nagi and care for me as though I were Nagi." Tsuna fidgeted with his fingers and turned his eyes down to the floor shyly. "I... just hope that... you can slowly overcome your sadness so that you can find happiness once again..."

Mukuro quieted and merely stared at the amber eyed boy, dumbstruck. This boy... he was practically saying that it would be okay if he didn't exist in other people's eyes. The reason he could say such a thing... was it because he was so selfless that he believed that his own worth amounted to nothing in comparison to others? Or was he just plain stupid? The sorcerer watched Tsuna blush under his gaze and then Mukuro let out a short sigh.

"You are such a fool…"

Tsuna gulped and picked at his fingers anxiously when he heard Mukuro's response. As they fell silent, Yamamoto's bird tilted its head to the side and then chirped without a sound. Before the silence between them could last any longer, Gokudera's voice came a few feet away from them and the two males glanced over.

"Jyuudaime! Look!" The silver haired pyro pointed at the pale building in front of them. "We're finally here! But... how do we get in?"

The four boys stood in the grass, staring at the crippling building raised high up and over the grass by a couple of large stone pillars. The outer walls and pillars were decorated in intricate designs and dull, chipping paint, all nearly covered by moss and small vines. The roof of the shrine was made by pale, silver-white wood and bright rays of light burst into the shrine through small holes in the ceiling. Several trees surrounded the shrine, laden with glowing red fruits. Tsuna's eyes lit up, momentarily forgetting that they couldn't get into the shrine. That fruit...! The brunet jogged towards one of the trees and then studied it carefully. Gokudera and Yamamoto moved forward to accompany the boy, both staring curiously at the fruits. And then Tsuna stuck his free hand into his bag, pulling out the fruit that Mukuro had given him.

"Look, it's Oraia!" Tsuna smiled brightly, cheeks flushing in delight. He dangled the fruit up beside the other fruits and they seemed to jingle in time to each other. The brunet laughed and his guardians smiled along with him. Mukuro poked around the shrine with his staff and smirked when he found what he was looking for. He pushed a stone down into the ground and suddenly the ground started rumbling. The others whipped their heads around in surprise, wondering what had happened, and then their eyes widened when a set of steps burst from the ground, leading up to the shrine. Mukuro tapped his temple with a finger.

"Good thing my memory is still as clear as ever."

The four of them continued up the steps and Tsuna's mouth fell open, examining the place from top to bottom. When the shrine had been first built, it must've been a very beautiful place... The boy reached the top of the stone steps and when he took his first step off, toe touching the pale and cold stone floor, a shiver went through his skin and he felt something gnaw at the back of his mind. His heart sped up and the hand that held the Oraia fruit trembled gently.

He... knew this place...

"Tsuna...?" Yamamoto redirected his attention from a worn looking painting when he noticed Tsuna suddenly swerve and go down a dark hall to the right. The swordsman tapped Gokudera's shoulder and the two guardians glanced at Mukuro curiously. The sorcerer frowned and shook his head slowly to tell them he had no idea what Tsuna was doing. The three young men followed silently. They crossed from room to room and they watched, astounded, when the brunet seemed to weave his way knowingly through every new room. They took lefts and then a few rights. Sometimes they went straight, but never backwards. Tsuna's eyebrows furrowed together. Where was he taking himself...? He didn't know... but the nagging feeling at the back of his head kept pressing himself to keep moving. Finally, after opening one last door, the group found themselves staring into a large, square room. There was a door on the opposite side and steps lead down from it—mimicking the steps that tiered down from their door—towards the middle and to the very bottom of the room. On the floor of the room, a large mosaic laid in the ground, depicting a rough map of the world.

"What is this place...?" Gokudera asked slowly, listening to his voice faintly echo in the vast room. His eyes moved to the largest wall in the room and he squinted at it to get a better look at the enormous painting peeling from its surface. It was an old painting of five beings. Two that looked like men, two that looked like women, and another that looked like a cross between man and woman. Tsuna silently made it down the steps and stood at the very center of the room, staring at the wall with large, amber eyes. The swallow in his hair took flight again, flitting towards the giant portraits of the five people. Mukuro made his way down the steps and fondly skimmed the chamber over with his eyes.

"Aah, I remember this place. It took me a while to stumble across here... the rooms we were walking through before seem to be enchanted. So the only way to reach this room is to walk through in a specific pattern... This, I believe, is the chamber where the five gods and Aura used to just sit and talk to each other. Which probably explains how Tsunayoshi-kun was able to reach this room so quickly..." The man stopped at the mosaic on the ground and knelt down to trace his fingers over the tiny colorful tiles. "This is also where I was given clues about the two places we are going to visit later." Mukuro pointed at the ceiling where another map, similar to the one on the floor, was painted. A few parts had peeled away and there were cracks in the map on the ceiling, but the general shape could still be recognized. The sorcerer pointed at the strange marks on the sides of the ceiling. "I had to decipher that and then flip it backwards to find out which province to go to. It didn't tell me specifically where in the province though, so I had to do more searching after that..."

Gokudera lifted his head up and gazed at the painting on the ceiling. Then, he glanced at the floor. After a moment or two, he scowled and muttered. "Fotizo and Aeras, huh. It also says Pyrkagia over there." Mukuro blinked once and then turned to the silver haired pyro in surprise.

"Pyrkagia...? Did you just decipher that... right now...?"

"Huh?" Gokudera blinked back at the sorcerer and then scratched the back of his head uneasily. "Well... it's a secret code that's been passed down through my family for generations... I had to learn to read it and decode it in under ten seconds..."

Yamamoto let out a low whistle. "That's really impressive, Gokudera!"

The silver haired boy frowned and snapped at the swordsman. "I never wanted to learn such an ancient thing...!"

Mukuro stood up and then rubbed his chin, eyeing Gokudera curiously. This boy... was quite a mystery as well... just where did he come from? And which family? He had never read or heard of any records on a secret code like this... The blue haired sorcerer moved to the silver haired pyro and tapped the boy's shoulder to gain his attention. Gokudera turned and noticed Mukuro pointing at a wall hidden in a corner. "How about that? Can you decipher it? It looked the same as the markings on the ceiling but when I tried to decode it, it became gibberish."

Yamamoto and Gokudera moved to stand in front of the wall. The stone was etched with many strange and intricate symbols. Yamamoto smiled at it and rubbed the back of his neck. "Haha! I have no idea what this is!" Then, a small symbol at the bottom, that looked like a combination of an 'n' and a 'q', caught his eye. "Ah! Wait... this one looks familiar to some of the symbols back at home. Sure brings back a lot of memories!"

Gokudera's eyes lit up at the carvings in the wall. "Oh! This is the third variation of the first one. I like this one a whole lot better. It just makes so much more sense."

A bead of sweat ran down Mukuro's head. How did it make more sense...? And wait... there was more than one variation of the code...?

Gokudera ran his fingers over the small words and started reading out slowly,

"Follow my path, I will lead.

When all have gathered at the ending,

Take the pure spirit

And trap the ill-fated

With one strike, all will reverse.

The ending of the beginning will begin.

And from the end, new paths will finally form once again.

All can be cured if one has the strength to follow my steps."

Gokudera pulled away and frowned at the last symbol that Yamamoto had recognized. "I don't know what that thing is..."

Mukuro tapped his chin in contemplation. "Well... the rest of it seems pretty redundant... whoever carved this must have painted the map on the ceiling, too. So, we just follow his steps, which we are already doing. And the ending basically means that we can cure the curse and then continue on with our lives. The part that interests me is the 'With one strike, all will reverse'. What does it mean...?"

Yamamoto shrugged his shoulders. "It sounds like we'll have to kill something to end the curse."

Gokudera smirked and glanced at Mukuro. "Maybe in the end we'll have to end up killing you..."

Mukuro sent the pyro a ghost-like smile. "Now, now. No need to show your lust, Hayato-kun."

The silver haired boy growled and pounced forward to throw a punch at the sorcerer. But Yamamoto chuckled and held the boy back. Mukuro ignored the two and turned back to the center of the room, noticing that Tsuna hadn't moved at all ever since he had occupied the spot in the middle of the room. The boy still held the fruit in his hands and Mukuro raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Tsunayoshi-kun...?"

Tsuna didn't seem to hear him and the boy continued to stare at the large wall with unfocused eyes. Mukuro felt his heart skip a beat and he swiftly moved to the brunet's side.

"Tsunayoshi-kun..." The sorcerer probed again a little more urgently this time. "Tsunayoshi-kun...!"

The boy gasped and then turned his head to look at Mukuro with round eyes, trembling slightly. "M-M-Mukuro-san...?"

The blue haired sorcerer studied Tsuna's face for a second and then let out a brief sigh. "Why didn't you answer me the first time...?"

"I..." Tsuna gulped and pointed to the grand wall with the large paintings of five people. "I... felt something strange from that... it feels like something is coming... so I was waiting for them to come..."

Mukuro frowned slightly. "Them...?"

Tsuna averted his eyes to the ground and clutched the fruit tightly in his hand. "I don't know... but..." He lifted his eyes up again and he smiled happily. "Mukuro-san! I remembered something!"

Mukuro blinked in surprise. "Remembered... something...?"

"Yeah! Follow me!" Tsuna grinned and then called out to his two guardians, "Gokudera-kun! Yamamoto-kun! Come over here, I have to show you guys something!" And then, he started jogging towards the large painting. The three other males glanced at each other in confusion and then followed after Tsuna. They stopped a few feet behind the boy, watching him inspect the foot of the painted person who looked neither male nor female. Mukuro looked up at the painting and murmured to their group.

"That's Nero. If I remember correctly, he is a god who likes water very much..." Yamamoto and Gokudera traced their eyes up the wall and stared at the calm face seemingly looking back down at them through half-lidded eyes. And then, an exclamation from Tsuna brought their gazes back down.

"Aha! I found it!" Tsuna smiled widely and then stuck his hand into a small notch between Nero's toes. Mukuro blinked.

"What are you...?"

And then the brunet twisted his hand in the notch. A loud rumbling noise echoed around in the room and the three other males whipped their heads around nervously, wondering what Tsuna had just done. The spot Tsuna had been standing on, just a moment ago, suddenly caved in and a large pit seemed to lead downwards, into the mountain. Tsuna pulled his hand out from the notch and lifted the fruit up in his hands.

"Don't worry, guys. I've done this a lot of times before. Just watch...! The secret to the Oraia fruit!" He ran to the new hole in the floor eagerly and waved the hand with the fruit in it, beckoning the others to follow. The boys shrugged and jogged to the hole obediently. Yamamoto's bird, who had flown to perch itself upon one of the high corners of the ceiling, stared down at the young men gathering before the new hole in the ground. When the boys peered into the hole, they noticed that there were steps leading downwards into shadowy darkness.

"Uhh... Tsuna." Yamamoto scratched his cheek hesitantly. "Are you sure you remember correctly? That place looks like a prison..."

Tsuna chuckled and nodded reassuringly. "Don't worry, I know where I'm going. If it gets too dark, just touch the walls. It shouldn't be long until we see light again though." The brunet started going down the stairs and the trio followed after, trusting the boy's words. As they made their way down, the darkness started to blind them and the boys felt along the dry, dusty walls with their hands. But only a few seconds later, a pale blue light started to light up the ceiling and the boys' mouths fell open, awed by the sight surrounding them. Overhead, hundreds of small trees hung from the top of the passage, branches weaving over their heads to form a leafy ceiling. Berries lay suspended in the air, glowing with a faint blue light. Tsuna lifted the Oraia up and the boys saw that the Oraia had also lit up with blue light. The berries overhead seemed to brighten steadily as they walked deeper down the path. Tsuna laughed and dangled the Oraia fruit around in the air. "See? Isn't this pretty? The Oraia fruit will only light up like this when they're around these berries. And vice-versa, the berries will only light up when they come close to Oraia. I used to do this all the time! But I think that was when I was Aura..."

The three young men blushed faintly, smiling at the boy who seemed to have reverted to a slightly feminine side, and they agreed that the scene was all very beautiful. As they continued walking, observing the glowing lights over their heads, Gokudera spoke up.

"So, Jyuudaime! Where does this path go to...?"

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked and then glanced at one of the walls uneasily. His eyebrows furrowed together in thought. "I thought I remembered... but I can't really remember now... I have a feeling that we'll find something very important at the end though…"

As the boy trailed off, a strange orange-yellow light came glowing from the distance. The boys blinked and followed the path, watching as the passage grew wider and wider until it spread into a vast room with berries lined along the walls in intricate designs. In the middle of the room, a small baby with curling side burns sat on a stone chair, eyes covered by a fedora. A necklace that looked like an oversized pacifier hung from the baby's neck and it shimmered with a yellow light, color clashing against the blue surrounding him. The group stopped at the entrance of the room and stared at the baby with wide eyes. There was someone still living... in such a dark place?

The baby looked up slowly, eyes still hidden beneath his hat, and a small smirk fell across his lips as his pacifier burst with golden yellow. "It's about time, Aura. Or... should I say... Sawada Tsunayoshi."

.:.


	6. Arcobaleno

.:.

_Arcobaleno_

.:.

"It's about time, Aura. Or... should I say... Sawada Tsunayoshi." The baby smirked and he lifted a finger to tilt his hat up, watching the four males with his dark beady eyes. They gaped at the baby in return, not expecting another person (a baby even less so) in the ancient shrine. Gokudera nudged Mukuro in the arm and whispered harshly,

"Who the heck is that kid...?"

"I..." Mukuro's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm not entirely sure..."

"Eh...?" Gokudera blinked in surprise and turned to stare at the sorcerer incredulously. How could even _he_ not know...?

Tsuna's throat had turned dry when he saw the baby and he licked his lips a few times, wondering why he was feeling so strangely all of a sudden. "W-Who... are you...?"

The corner of the baby's lips twitched upwards. He stood up on the stone chair, patting off his tiny pants of the dust that had accumulated there. And then, in a flash, he was gone.

Tsuna blinked. Where had—?

"This is for making me wait for so long." And then something connected with his cheek, along with a burst of pain, sending him flying backwards, head first into the floor.

"Tsuna!"

"Jyuudaime!"

The brunet scraped across the ground, back slamming into the wall, causing the breath to knock out from his lungs. The two guardians ran to Tsuna worriedly and then whirled their heads around, warily keeping their eyes on the form of the tiny baby hovering in the air, his small foot still extended outwards from kicking Tsuna. He landed on the ground smoothly and fixed the edges of the black suit he was wearing. A small green chameleon crawled from behind the baby's fedora and flicked out its red tongue once, staring expressionlessly at the boys.

Gokudera reached into his shirt for his dynamite and he growled low in his throat, "You bastard...!" Yamamoto kept his eyes on the baby cautiously and a hand flew up to the end of his hilt in preparation. Mukuro gripped his staff a little more firmly, muscles tensing, and his eyes narrowed. This was no ordinary baby...

The baby stared at the trio with his gleaming dark eyes and the trio focused their senses, waiting for the monster-like child's next move. But a soft and breathless voice cut them off.

"Wait...!" Tsuna coughed and lifted himself up from the ground. There were a few scratches on his cheek and along the line of his arm. Yamamoto turned his head towards the boy in concern.

"Tsuna! Are you okay?"

Gokudera scowled and continued to keep his eyes upon the strange baby. "Jyuudaime! Get out of here as fast as you can. I'll try to hold him off!"

"No!" Tsuna coughed again and took a few breaths to regain his speech. "Wait! It... it didn't hurt!" The two guardians paused.

A smirk fell across the baby's face again.

Gokudera and Yamamoto blinked and spoke simultaneously, spinning around to watch the brunet on the ground. "What...?"

Tsuna smiled sheepishly while rubbing his bruising cheek. "Er... well... the kick hurt. But it didn't hurt like usual... it didn't hurt like when you guys touch me..."

Gokudera's eyes widened slightly and he glanced from Tsuna to the baby and then back to Tsuna again. "I... don't understand... it didn't hurt, Jyuudaime...?"

The chestnut haired boy nodded shyly, not really understanding it himself. He peered at the baby curiously and his amber eyes shimmered in a mix of astonishment and confusion. Yamamoto straightened and observed the baby standing in the middle of the room.

"But..." The swordsman started slowly, "How is that possible...? The curse...?"

Mukuro lowered his staff a little and kept his gaze straight on the baby. "Who are you?"

The baby was silent for a second. And then, his lips parted open to speak. "I'm Reborn, one of the Arcobaleno." He turned to gaze at the brunet on the floor. "I've been waiting for you, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Arco...baleno...?" Tsuna voiced softly to himself, letting the strange name roll off his tongue.

"Arcobaleno..." Mukuro repeated, relaxing his grip on his staff. He stared at Reborn stoically and said mostly to himself, "Now that I think of it... I've heard that name only once before..."

Reborn trotted slowly towards Tsuna and his guardians. He started explaining, "We're not known to many so it's only normal for you to be thrown off by my existence." As the baby drew nearer, Yamamoto and Gokudera involuntarily froze on their feet, eyes wide from feeling the strong presence of the tiny baby pressing upon them. Reborn walked casually through the gap between them, moving closer to Tsuna. He continued, "The Arcobaleno are ones who are neither human nor spirit. Yet we are also ones who are still both human and spirit." The baby hopped right in front of Tsuna's face and then slowly reached a hand out, letting it hang in the air for a second. And then the tiny hand touched the boy's face and Tsuna gasped lightly at the warm hand softly cupping his cheek. "And that is why I can touch you, Sawada Tsunayoshi, tenth reincarnation of Aura."

Tsuna's eyes widened.

It didn't hurt...

It didn't hurt at all...

A faint blush fell across the boy's face and his eyes fluttered shut, just focusing on feeling and sensing and remembering everything about that tiny warm palm upon his cheek. He shuddered slightly, trying not to shake from the overwhelming feelings rumbling within him, and he hesitantly lifted a hand up. After pausing a few times, he finally placed his fingers on the back of Reborn's hand tentatively, and Tsuna opened his eyes again, revealing the bright amber orbs.

"Reborn..."

The little half-human-half-spirit smirked and gently drew his hand away. Then, he turned to eye the three other people present. "Everyone understand?"

Gokudera gaped and let his arms hang limply by his sides. "Wait... so... all the Arcobaleno can touch Jyuudaime?"

Mukuro watched the baby-halfling carefully. "I heard that there were seven Arcobaleno..."

"You are correct." Reborn affirmed. Yamamoto stared at the baby for a few more seconds, processing the information he was receiving. Then he sent a wide grin towards the brunet lying on the ground, behind Reborn.

"Haha! Isn't that great, Tsuna? There are still seven people who can touch you even if we don't get rid of the curse!" The swordsman ignored the intense glares he was picking up from his two other companions and continued to smile brightly. Tsuna let his eyes fall upon Yamamoto for a moment and then a warm smile spread across his lips. The boy bent his head down, lowering his eyes shyly while still smiling to himself.

"Yeah..."

Mukuro dropped the uncharacteristic glare he was sending Yamamoto and instead let an unreadable smile grace his lips. "Tsunayoshi-kun," The sorcerer started and fixed his eyes coldly on Reborn, who stared back at him with an amused look in his eyes, "Don't think that I will allow you to settle down now that you know that there are others who can touch you... I won't let you rest until I permanently remove that curse from your body."

Tsuna looked up at the man in surprise. And then, he chuckled softly. "Thanks, Mukuro."

Reborn inspected Mukuro and then looked over Yamamoto and Gokudera. "It seems we have all the main characters here, don't we... You are Aura's guardians and the sorcerer who cast the curse on her?"

Mukuro answered casually. "We are who you say we are."

"Good." Reborn tipped his hat down over his eyes. "Then starting from today, I will be honing every one of your skills. Prepare yourselves."

The boys blinked. A chorus of confused 'Eh?'s came from their mouths as they stared at the baby. And then Reborn promptly launched himself off from the floor, disappearing in a blur of black.

"What the—?" Gokudera exclaimed, "Where did he go? What's...?" The silver haired pyro felt a breeze of air from behind him and he quickly turned to face whatever was coming. He was hit full in the face by a small black foot.

"I'm training you." And then, Reborn disappeared again. Gokudera regained himself and hastily wiped away the blood that had trickled out from his nose. He grit his teeth in frustration. Training...? Why did he have to fight against a baby halfling in order to train? And what was with that kid's inhuman power?

Yamamoto's eyes darted about, trying to pinpoint where Reborn could show up next. His eyes widened when he sensed something coming from his left. He quickly reached a hand out, catching whatever it was that had come straight at him. The swordsman blinked at the strange green ball bouncing around in his hand. What... was this? And then an enormous impact to the back of his head sent his entire body reeling forward. The ball dropped from his hand and Reborn swiftly grabbed it, waiting as the ball changed into the green chameleon that had been crawling on his hat earlier.

"I forgot to introduce you. This is Leon, my partner." The baby lifted his hand up and the green chameleon climbed back onto the rim, watching Yamamoto groan and rub the back of his head. "Leon is a shape-shifting chameleon."

Yamamoto winced as his hand massaged his head and he turned to give Reborn a dry smile. "You like to play dirty, little guy."

Reborn smirked back and then he hopped off again in a blur of darkness. Tsuna gulped, watching Reborn relentlessly attack his guardians and Mukuro. How... was that baby so skillful...?

Mukuro's lips had drawn down in a frown when he had found himself caught unaware by Reborn a couple of times. That Arcobaleno was good... The sorcerer lifted his staff up just in time to block another blow aimed at him. Reborn hopped off from Mukuro's staff and landed smoothly on the ground.

"Not bad."

Mukuro chuckled wryly. "You're not bad yourself."

Reborn eyed the sorcerer for a second and then turned to the brunet who had been sitting on the floor up until now.

"Tsuna, you aren't exempt from the training. While we find a cure to the curse, there will undoubtedly be many adversaries. You can't rely on your guardians all the time. I will give you special training."

Tsuna blinked a couple of times. Special... training...?

"Eh...?"

Reborn nodded. "We need to go outside for your training though. This space is too small for you." Leaving Tsuna to blink at him in confusion, the baby turned to Gokudera and Yamamoto. "Gokudera Hayato." He pointed at the silver haired boy, who jumped when his name was called. When had he given the baby his name...? Reborn continued, "You have a long way to go. But I _will_ make you control your talents."

Gokudera swallowed after overcoming his initial shock, and his eyes lowered down to the floor. Sweat started to bead upon his brow. He would have to face his insecurities now. Could he do it...? One of his fists tightened together and his green eyes hardened in determination. He had to do it.

Reborn watched the silver haired pyro, and as if he were satisfied by the boy's attitude, he moved his finger to the swordsman, who stared back at the baby curiously. "Yamamoto Takeshi." Yamamoto blinked once. How did the baby-halfling know his name...? Reborn smirked. "You have talent... but you lack experience."

Yamamoto let the words sink in and then he smiled sheepishly. The swordsman lifted a hand up to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. "Haha... that's true..."

Reborn nodded and then turned to lock eyes with Mukuro. They stared at each other for a moment, neither releasing their gaze. And then the baby started speaking again. "Let's start going to Aeras, then." If Mukuro was surprised by the baby's words, he didn't show it. The blue haired sorcerer smiled mysteriously.

"Oh? And why would we be going there, Arcobaleno? Do you see something we do not?"

"Tsuna's learned the first steps to the dance, right?" Reborn replied promptly back.

Mukuro's eyes widened slightly. How did...?

"Dance...?" Gokudera eyed the two curiously. "When did Jyuudaime learn a dance?"

The two didn't answer and only continued to watch each other. After another second, Reborn said firmly, "He will learn the rest of the dance. We are going to Aeras."

Mukuro frowned, disliking the commanding tone in the baby's voice. But then he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "As you wish, Arcobaleno... we were planning on heading there anyway."

Reborn smirked, satisfied by the sorcerer's words, and then turned to trot towards Tsuna. He lightly hopped up onto the boy's shoulder and then smacked him across the head with a palm. "Well, what are you waiting for, Tsuna?"

"Ah!" Tsuna yelped in surprise and rubbed the slightly stinging pain on his head. He was still trying to get accustomed to the feeling of another person's touch without having to suffer the usual severe pain. He sent a shy smile to the baby on his shoulder and stammered. "R-right..." A gentle smile fell across his face as he adjusted to the new weight on his shoulder, and he started moving to his companions, all waiting for him to lead the way back down the illuminated passage. "I guess... we're going again?"

Reborn stared down the hall of twinkling blue lights. "You can always come visit again. I'm sure the gods will always welcome you back. They are your family after all."

Tsuna felt his cheeks grow warm and he nodded to himself. So many good things had happened to him ever since he came to Karmella Mountain. Maybe... when he finally found a way to lift the curse on him... he could come back and stay here longer...?

Yamamoto and Gokudera watched Tsuna and Reborn move down the passage, already looking like two close friends. They glanced at each other and then a small smile crossed their lips. Tsuna didn't have to stay in such a lonely state any longer. The two guardians grinned at that thought and then followed after, admiring the happy aura surrounding Tsuna and Reborn.

Mukuro brought up the rear while his eyes observed the group trampling steadily through the hall. His eyes moved past the two guardians and fixed themselves upon Tsuna's back. After watching the boy for a moment longer, he sighed and his shoulders sagged a little.

There were too many people...

.:.

Making their way up the steps from the hidden basement in the shrine, the first to notice that something was wrong was Reborn. The baby's eyes darted about the room and his face made a small twitching motion. The next person who knew that there was something off was surprisingly, Tsuna, who had suddenly stopped at the top of the stairs, unsure if he should take another step. Yamamoto and Gokudera paused behind him, staring at the boy curiously.

"Jyuudaime...?" And then, Gokudera's eyes narrowed, feeling that the room was being engulfed in a menacing feeling. Yamamoto's eyebrows scrunched together and Mukuro watched the surroundings warily with his sharp eyes. Yamamoto's swallow flew down from the ceiling, settling onto the swordsman's shoulder safely. It had been waiting for them to come back out.

"Tsuna, if we want to get to Aeras, we will have to keep going." Reborn said pointedly. Tsuna gulped.

"I know..." He took a hesitant step forward and the rest of their group followed suit, drawing out their weapons cautiously. They moved towards the stairs that they had come down earlier, and started climbing up to the doorway. So far, nothing strange... Tsuna opened the door and started weaving his way out again, feet miraculously leading him and maneuvering himself out of the maze-like shrine. He felt beads of cold sweat grow on the back of his neck at every step he took. The others also held their weapons more firmly, focusing their senses on every single point in the room to make sure they weren't suddenly attacked. Tsuna stopped. His eyes darted towards Reborn and then to his companions standing behind him. "This is the last door..." He murmured. The feeling had grown worse now and the boy couldn't help but tremble. Reborn waited for the amber eyed boy to muster up his courage and then watched him slowly reach his hand out to grip the sliding wooden door. And then he slid it open. Something zipped towards them with the sound of rushing wind against reeds. Reborn quickly kicked Tsuna's face, launching off and sending the boy flying away from him so that he crashed behind the safety of the wall. Gokudera leapt to the side, dodging the arrow that had suddenly shot into the room. Yamamoto flicked out his sword and in a swift slash, the arrow fell harmlessly to ground in two halves. His eyes turned steel-like and the swordsman moved his foot back, standing firmly on the ground, ready to take on anything else that dared enter the room. Gokudera rushed forward and flung out his dynamite, sending explosions of blackened dust into the air, clouding up the hall.

Reborn hopped towards Tsuna, eyeing the door warily. "Thirty-eight of them. Four with bows, seven with swords. The rest have knives or clubs." He jumped onto the boy's shoulder and nodded towards another door in the room. "Let's go that way. We'll head for the southern exit. You should know how to get there." Tsuna didn't even have a chance to ask what was going on as he quickly climbed to his feet.

"Guys, follow me!" Tsuna cried hastily and waved towards the door Reborn had directed him to. Gokudera tossed another handful of bombs out and whipped his head around. He smacked Yamamoto on the arm and then nudged his head in Tsuna's direction before running after Tsuna. Yamamoto nodded and calmly split another two arrows that had zipped into the room. His eyes darted to Mukuro for a second. The sorcerer spun his staff around, slamming the end into the ground, and a large pillar of fire suddenly shot up from the floor, engulfing the doorway with hot flames.

"That should slow them down, don't you think?" The blue haired sorcerer sent a charming smile to the swordsman, who laughed in return. The two quickly followed after Tsuna's trail of open doors and they slid them shut as they went. Finally, they reached the end and found Gokudera tossing dynamite out from another open door.

"Shit. How many of those guys are there?" The silver haired pyro grunted out in frustration. Mukuro swung his staff into the ground again and a huge pillar of fire rose from the ground once more. Gokudera paused and then spun around, staring blankly at the blue haired sorcerer. "What took you guys so long?" He muttered angrily, tucking his dynamite back into his clothes. Yamamoto grinned and Mukuro smiled.

"Where did Tsunayoshi go?" The sorcerer glanced around the room and noticed that another trail of open doors went down to the right. Without another second to waste, Gokudera started sprinting towards the door.

"To the northern exit."

The three young men raced through the rooms, not even bothering to close the doors behind them anymore so that they could join up with the chestnut haired boy and Reborn as soon as possible. When they finally burst out from the last door, they found Reborn dodging the swords and knives of the people flooding into the room. Tsuna was scampering about on the floor, yelping every time a sword nearly grazed his side. Immediately, Mukuro sprang forward, slamming the end of his staff into a group of people, sweeping them away from the frightened boy. He stood up in front of Tsuna and held his staff in front of him, smiling eerily.

"I can't allow you to kill him now, can I?"

"M-Mukuro...!" Tsuna whimpered and slowly pulled himself up to his shaking feet. "Please... help Reborn!" The sorcerer glanced over his shoulder at the boy and then chuckled.

"That Arcobaleno doesn't need any help."

A few of the attackers groaned and quickly rose to their feet again. One of them bared his teeth and was about to rush forward to attack Mukuro and Tsuna again but the hilt of Yamamoto's sword connected with the back of his head. The man collapsed to the ground unceremoniously. The swordsman swiftly knocked the other men out with the back of his sword. Then, Yamamoto sighed and took a peek out from the door where Reborn was keeping the people from flooding in. He let out a low whistle.

"That's a lot of people..."

Gokudera chucked a stick of dynamite out the door and Reborn kicked his opponent's face away from him, sending the man toppling into his companions and into the black smoke that had formed from Gokudera's dynamite. Mukuro smacked his staff on the ground and a pillar of fire rose. Reborn landed on the floor, a small frown on his face. He dusted off his clothes and turned to the boys in the room.

"Well, it would seem that we are completely surrounded. If we went to the eastern exit, I'm sure we would find them there as well."

Tsuna swallowed thickly and started wringing his hands together. "What should we do then? How are we supposed to get out?"

"And who the fuck are those guys anyway?" Gokudera ground out, glaring at the door being engulfed in bright flames. Reborn answered simply.

"The Millefiore bandits. They were probably watching you guys, waiting for a good chance to strike."

"Those bandits again..." Gokudera scowled.

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. "Why would those guys be targeting us? And there's so many of them. It's not like we have a lot of money on us or anything..."

Mukuro smiled casually and pulled out a number of pouches from his body, all tinkling with the sound of coins. "Well actually, I am quite rich. But I doubt they would know that. Unless one of them has very good ears..."

The three other boys gaped, mouths dropping to the floor. Tsuna chuckled weakly. So that's how Mukuro paid for everything back in Sidero...

"Uhh... anyway..." Tsuna scratched his cheek. "We should come up with a plan to get out of here, fast..."

Gokudera frowned while he glanced over the people in the room. His eyes landed on Mukuro. The silver haired pyro scratched the back of his head and started to suggest, "We could... have Mukuro do something to them with his illusions again..."

The blue haired sorcerer smiled cheerily while tucking the pouches back in his clothes. "True. But if I did that on such a massive scale, you boys would have to carry me down the mountain."

Gokudera scoffed. "What a useless guy..."

Mukuro continued to smile. "At least I can protect Tsunayoshi-kun better than you."

"What was that, you bastard...?" The silver haired boy rushed forward with a fist raised but Yamamoto quickly held him back. Tsuna hurriedly moved to Gokudera, helping Yamamoto appease the angry boy, and Reborn watched the brunet carefully. Then, the infant spoke.

"Tsuna, do you still remember the movements those spirits taught you earlier?"

The boys paused and turned their heads to look at the baby-halfling. Tsuna's eyes averted to the side.

"I... think so."

Reborn nodded. "Good. Then do it."

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked. Reborn kicked the boy in the shin and the boy yelped in pain, hopping back on one foot.

"It's your training. Try the steps again."

The brunet rubbed his shin a few times, wondering why the baby was so rough with everyone. But then he gave Reborn a small nod. "Okay..." He stood up and closed his eyes, thinking back to the time he was racing with Yamamoto. He recalled the image of the spirits on the ground. Orange. Purple. Green. Blue. The boy took a step forward and the others in the room held their breaths as they watched him start to move. And suddenly, a shrill cry of pain interrupted them from outside. They blinked and Tsuna's eyes opened in surprise. What was that...?

Reborn made a short gesture with his fingers to Mukuro and the sorcerer frowned slightly, but nevertheless lowered the fire blocking their door. The boys watched the door warily. But when no one came rushing in to attack, they inched forward and peered outside curiously. Their attackers had all turned to stare at something behind them.

"Who the—?" One of the bandits cried before getting promptly whacked unconscious.

"Hmph, just a gathering of herbivores..." A low voice muttered.

Tsuna peeked around the edge of the doorway and his eyes widened slightly when he saw the person standing in the middle of the massive mob of bandits. There was a young man with smooth, black hair, wielding two steel tonfas by his sides. He wore a dark blue robe-like attire and he stood up straight, shoulders positioned in a laid-back way, as though he were completely bored even with the enormous mass of people surrounding him, all glaring and pointing their weapons at him. Tsuna gulped. Despite the person's lazy appearance... he seemed... sort of scary...

Reborn stared at the young man in interest. Then he glanced over the bandits before kicking Tsuna in the shin again. "They're all distracted. Do it now." The brunet rubbed the bruise on his leg, eyes tearing from being kicked in the same place twice. He was about to retort back to the baby halfling when he felt someone staring at him. The boy looked up and then gasped, breath catching in his throat, as he locked eyes with the dangerous young man standing against the crowd by himself.

Cold, grey-blue.

Tsuna's eyes widened considerably. Those eyes...! They were...! His thoughts were cut off by Reborn's third painful kick into his shin.

"Ow! Reborn...!" Tsuna frowned, pulling his eyes away from the stranger's to frown at the baby.

"What are you spacing out for, Tsuna? Hurry up."

By now the bandits had remembered their original target and turned back around to face the group in the shrine. Tsuna swallowed and nervously backed away into the room. "All right, all right. I'll do it...!" He took one last look at the person standing among the bandits before closing his eyes, focusing on the motions the spirits had taught him. Orange. Purple. Green. Blue. Right. Left. Right. Left. Spin. Hop. Hop. Spin. The amber eyed boy retraced the movements in his mind with his feet. The people in the vicinity paused, entranced by the almost floating motion Tsuna was making. And then, when the boy's foot softly landed on the last step, a violent gust of wind suddenly picked up in the air, sweeping their hair and clothes roughly to the side. A great whirlwind of rubble made its way up the mountain, ripping through the ground, flattening and tearing the grass as it flew towards the shrine. Men in its path were tossed into the air, swirling harshly up and around the spiral of crumbling rocks and earth. Mukuro and Reborn watched on with looks of respect, impressed by the horrible display of power. Yamamoto and Gokudera looked on with wide eyes, never having witnessed such a disaster. Tsuna bit his lip, taking in the havoc he had created, and his heart picked up in speed when he noticed that the current of wind was moving straight towards the young man with grey-blue eyes. "T-That guy...! He's gonna get hit!" But just before the tornado could slam into the black haired man, he dodged to the side and his eyes darted towards Tsuna, narrowing slightly. Tsuna let out a sigh of relief. It hadn't hit him...

"Umm... Tsuna." Yamamoto interrupted hesitantly. The brunet turned to face his guardian.

"Yamamoto?"

"It's... coming towards us." The swordsman pointed out, motioning to the cyclone of violent winds tearing through the bandits.

"HIIEE!" Tsuna squeaked and backed away. "W-What do we do...? Will it follow me?"

Gokudera flicked out his bombs and glared at the natural disaster coming their way. "Maybe I can blow it up before it hits us..."

Reborn lifted a hand up. "Wait." The boys froze obediently. "Tsuna, try controlling it. You just summoned it with your body. You should be able to control it with your body." The baby smirked. Mukuro lifted an eyebrow.

"You are planning to have Tsunayoshi-kun train his abilities until he can fully control them at will...?"

Something glinted in Reborn's eyes. "Of course, what else? He must master it. Tsuna, try to focus on sending your wind somewhere else."

"Eh? Aa..." The brunet gave a small nod of his head. The wind was zooming straight at them and Tsuna could feel cold sweat starting to bead on his cheek. He closed his eyes again and lifted his hands up towards the wind. Focus... he had to concentrate on the wind... but... which part of the wind? The entire thing?

"Tsuna... you might wanna hurry." Yamamoto added, a little nervously.

Tsuna grimaced. Focusing on the entire thing didn't work. Maybe... it's center? As the boy started to concentrate upon the center of the wind, the currents seemed to pick up in speed.

"Jyuudaime! It's moving faster!" Gokudera held up his dynamite, ready to try and possibly break the flow of the wind with his explosives. The brunet's eyebrows furrowed together. Focusing on the center made it speed up... what if... he thought about directing the center somewhere else...? He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, twirling his one free hand around in a cyclone-like way as he breathed. Mukuro watched the movements in interest. If Tsuna's other arm wasn't bound and he could move his other arm in the same way, he would be perfectly imitating another part of the dance of Aeras... Was it the boy's intuition? The winds continued storming towards them with vigor, only meters away from smashing into them. And then, Tsuna's eyes snapped open, fiery amber orbs burning with determination. The boy thrust his arm out to his left, twisting his entire body along with his motion. The wind moved to its right, swirling off towards the left side of the shrine. Tsuna brought his hand circling around to his front and the whirlwind turned back around, obediently. Reborn smirked.

"You did it, Tsuna."

The chestnut haired boy managed a small smile, still focused on the wind. He let his arm linger in front of him, hand still making the circular motions, and the wind stilled, kicking up dirt and grass in one area of the shrine. And then, with one last circular motion, Tsuna made a ripping gesture, pulling his hand outwards from the center. The wind dissipated into the air. The young man with grey-blue eyes was staring at him again. He could feel it. The amber eyed boy took a small peek at the man and felt his body shiver involuntarily when he met eyes with the man again. Who... was he? He seemed so similar to _that_ person...

"Jyuudaime! That was amazing!" Gokudera smiled so brightly his entire face seemed to be sparkling. Yamamoto grinned widely and was about to pat Tsuna on the back when he quickly realized what he was doing and caught himself. The swordsman settled for a gentle smile.

"Nice going, Tsuna."

Reborn started walking off towards another door. "All right, let's go for the eastern exit."

"Huh?" Gokudera frowned, staring at the messily strewn field of unconscious bodies. "Why can't we just leave through here? Jyuudaime got rid of all the bandits so the way is clear."

The baby had already shuffled open the door leading to the eastern exit and he turned his body halfway around to answer Gokudera's question. "That guy doesn't seem so easy to pass. Besides, the eastern exit is closer to the Aeras province." And then, he left out the door. Gokudera gaped.

"Then why didn't we head there in the first place?"

Yamamoto chuckled and started walking towards Reborn. "You're pretty funny, little guy. Here, why don't I give you a ride?"

"Thanks." Reborn nodded and hopped onto the swordsman's shoulder, settling comfortably beside the man's swallow. As the two left through the door—followed by a silent Mukuro—Gokudera shifted his eyes towards the last person standing in the field, that black haired man who was still staring back at them. The silver haired pyro scoffed. That guy didn't seem _that_ strong... but if Reborn said to go to the eastern exit... then he might as well just follow along. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and then edged towards the door. But he noticed that Tsuna hadn't moved from his spot yet. He blinked in confusion.

"Jyuudaime, you coming?"

"Eh? Oh, yeah... sorry, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna smiled sheepishly and pulled his gaze away from the man, scurrying towards the door after his companions. Gokudera watched the boy carefully and his eyebrows scrunched together.

"Jyuudaime, are you okay...? Did something happen?"

The chestnut haired boy shook his head quickly. He quietly shut the door behind him and gave the silver haired boy a smile. "No, it's nothing..."

.:.

The young man in the battlefield watched as the strange group of people in the shrine hastily retreated. His eyes followed the brunet until the boy disappeared behind the wall and his lips twitched slightly in a frown. That boy... could it possibly be...? A round and yellow little bird swooped down from the roof of the shrine, landing into the soft tufts of the man's dark hair, and the two of them continued to examine the silver-white landmark.

"Kyou-san...!" A voice suddenly called from behind them. The black haired man turned and tucked his tonfa behind him, while idly watching another man jog up to him, panting breathlessly. The man had hair gelled up into a pompadour and he glanced around the surroundings with wide eyes. When he regained enough breath to speak, he inquired, "Kyou-san, you found the bandits?"

"...only the weak herbivores." The young man, who answered to the name Kyou-san, kicked one of the bandits over, watching in boredom as the body tumbled onto its side like a sack of garbage. The other man sighed and twirled the long blade of grass in his mouth in exasperation.

"Kyou-san, I understand how you must want to eliminate the Millefiore as soon as possible. But with the revolutionaries in the country side... please, at least tell someone before you leave the palace."

The man sent a straight, blank stare at the other man and then he turned back to gaze at the shrine. His eyes narrowed. "Kusakabe Tetsuya..."

Kusakabe straightened and watched the black haired youth curiously. "Yes?"

"I want someone to follow after a group of five people leaving Mt. Karmella. Among them should be someone named... dame-Tsuna...? No... if I remember correctly, his name should be... Sawada Tsunayoshi. And have someone else go to an orphanage to check for his whereabouts. If they pass through the Desonte Forest, west of Sidero, they should find it."

Kusakabe blinked for a moment, watching the back of the young man with eyes widening in confusion. "Kyou-san... who is...?"

The young man turned abruptly and then started walking back to the edge of the sloping mountain, towards the northern province of the country. He swept past Kusakabe, grey-blue eyes fixed coldly on the lands beneath the mountain.

"Just do it."

.:.

It only took a couple of seconds for Tsuna and Gokudera to catch up with the trio up ahead. But when they reunited together in the same room, they didn't expect to see the three huddled in a corner of the room, whispering to each other. Tsuna and Gokudera exchanged looks of confusion and then stared blankly at the three males at the corner. What... were they doing...?

Yamamoto looked up, noticing the two boys at the door, and he hastily motioned with a hand for them to come join them in the corner. Tsuna moved forward hesitantly and Gokudera scowled, annoyed by how the swordsman was ordering them forward. Mukuro stepped backwards, giving Tsuna some space. He sent an easy-going smile to the brunet.

"Looks like we've found a lost animal."

"Eh...?" Tsuna stared at Mukuro strangely. Gokudera raised an eyebrow. An animal in the shrine...? What could it...? Tsuna moved to take Mukuro's place and what he found made his eyes widen considerably.

There was a man. A young man with shortly cropped silver hair, sitting against the corner with his head lolling to the side lifelessly.

Tsuna leapt back in fright. "Y-You call that an animal...?" The boy cried and Mukuro chuckled to himself, amused by the reaction. Tsuna swallowed nervously and inspected the young man. W-Why was there a person lying motionlessly in the shrine? He inched towards the man cautiously. Was... was he... still alive...? Gokudera shuffled forward and crouched down. His eyes narrowed at the silver haired person and he poked the young man's knee a few times.

"Hey, is he dead or something?"

"W-wait, Gokudera-kun...!" Tsuna gulped, watching his silver haired guardian prod at the lifeless looking person lying before them. If that person was dead, wouldn't it be more respectful to not touch him?

Reborn nodded to the body. "Listen."

Tsuna and Gokudera leaned in slowly, extending their ears towards the young man. For a second, there was nothing. And then they picked up a low, soft snore. The two boys pulled back, eyes round in surprise. This guy was sleeping! Why would he be sleeping in such a strange place?

"The hell...? What is wrong with this guy?" Gokudera frowned and stood up. Then, he nudged the young man with his foot, trying to get him to wake up. "Oi, you. What do you think you're doing here?"

Tsuna gaped at the silver haired pyro. _What are __**you**__ doing, Gokudera-kun...?_

The slumbering man grunted at the shaking motion and his eyes slowly opened a crack. "Nn...?" The young man lifted his head up to look at Gokudera and Tsuna noticed that the silver haired man had a small scar on his left temple.

"G-Gokudera-kun... are you sure you should wake him up...? He looks sort of dangerous..." Tsuna gulped nervously, eyeing the scar. But Gokudera shrugged.

"If he tries something, I can just blow him up."

A bead of sweat ran down Tsuna's head. True... he could do that... but something seemed sort of wrong with that logic...

Suddenly, the man mumbled something and the group of people leaned in closer to hear what the man had to say in his half-awakened state. After a moment of silence, they heard a low and hoarse, "...octopus...?"

They blinked simultaneously and glanced at each other, wondering if maybe someone among them could come up with an explanation for the first word the man had uttered.

"Takoyaki..." They watched in horror as some drool started to trickle from the man's mouth. Who was this guy? The silver haired man reached out slowly and grabbed Gokudera by the head.

"Wha—?" The pyro's eyes nearly left their sockets when the stranger tried to bite the top of his head off. Gokudera wrenched his head away quickly and then shot up to send a heavy kick into the young man's stomach. "You bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing? Do I look like takoyaki to you?"

Tsuna's mouth fell open when the sleeping person coughed and hacked after being kicked. "G-Gokudera-kun! Was that really necessary?"

"Che, I was just waking him up, that's all." The silver haired boy explained. Tsuna smiled weakly. Was that how people normally woke others up...?

"Hm?" The stranger had stopped coughing and was now rubbing his eyes quickly. He looked up, examining the five people surrounding him. "Who are you guys?"

"Who are you?" Tsuna and Gokudera shouted together, exasperated by the stranger. The man scratched his head and glanced around the room.

"OH! I KNOW!" The people jumped from the sudden energetic exclamation the man made. He climbed to his feet abruptly and grinned at them. "You guys are all lost, too! Don't worry, I think I've almost made my way out. Just follow me!"

_He was lost..._ Beads of sweat ran down their heads as they stared at the strange man. Well... it wasn't like they could blame him... after all, this place _was_ worse than a maze.

"Erm... who are you...?" Tsuna tried again. The man let his eyes fall upon the brunet and he beamed brightly.

"I am Sasagawa Ryohei from Southern Aeras! Main hobby is boxing! My motto is EXTREME! I came here to pray to the gods to help my sister through her initiation! Besides, I heard about the extreme trial that you have to go through first before you pray to the gods, so I wanted to take the challenge! Plus, climbing this mountain is great training to the MAX!"

Tsuna's eyes went round and his body grew stiff at the passionate introduction. H-He... not only gave an introduction of himself but also told them why he was here...!

Reborn smirked. "Sasagawa Ryohei... you said you were from Southern Aeras?"

Ryohei nodded vigorously and Gokudera eyed the silver haired man with disgust. Yamamoto smiled cheerily, glad that the person seemed to have a lot of energy in him.

"Nice to meet you, Sasagawa-san. I'm Yamamoto Takeshi and these are my friends, Sawada Tsunayoshi, Reborn, Rokudo Mukuro, and Gokudera Hayato." The silver haired pyro growled, spitting out a sharp, 'who's your friend?' behind the swordsman. Yamamoto ignored Gokudera and continued to smile. "We came from Pyrkagia to visit the shrine, too!"

Tsuna nodded sheepishly, embarrassed for forgetting to introduce himself. He had been completely overwhelmed by the silver haired man that he didn't have a chance to think. "N-nice to meet you, Sasagawa-san."

"Southern Aeras..." Mukuro rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You said your sister is going through an initiation? Could your sister be in that shrine where the most pure of maidens reside?"

"Hm? Are you talking about the Temple of Aeras?" Ryohei turned to the sorcerer. At Mukuro's short nod, the silver haired man's lips split into a wide grin. "Yeah! My sister's been living there for about two years now. But this year, she has to go through some sort of extreme purification ritual. You guys trying to get there?"

"Yes." Mukuro smiled. Tsuna nodded and Yamamoto beamed. Gokudera crossed his arms over his chest, staring pointedly at Ryohei, and Reborn hopped onto Tsuna's uninjured shoulder.

Ryohei pumped a fist into the air. "OKAY! I'll take you guys there, then! I've already finished praying to the gods so I'm heading back there myself!" The silver haired man signaled a hand at one of the doors and started jogging towards it. "Let's go, TO THE EXTREME!"

Gokudera winced and grumbled at the other silver haired man irritably. "Why do you have to keep shouting and repeating 'extreme'? Are you retarded?"

Ryohei paused at the doorway and then turned around when he heard the silver haired boy call him 'retarded'. His eyes landed on Gokudera and Tsuna took a small step back. Why had the man stopped...? Was he... angry...?

Ryohei blinked once in confusion and then pointed at himself. "Huh? Are you talking to me, octopus-head?"

Tsuna stared blankly at the silver haired man. No... this guy was just a strange and ignorant person...!

Gokudera seethed and started marching towards Ryohei. "What did you just call me...? You think I look like an octopus? You're no better, you fucking lawn-head!" Ryohei frowned and brought a fisted hand up, visage full of fire.

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me, octopus-head?"

"You're the one who's picking a fight with me, lawn-head!"

Yamamoto laughed at the two's childish name-calling and held the pyro back. "Maa maa, let's just focus on getting to Aeras...!"

They opened the doorway and started to leave. But then a soft, "umm..." stopped them. The trio turned around, staring at the other three who hadn't left the room along with them. The boys blinked at the brunet questionably and Tsuna smiled weakly. He pointed at a door to his right and murmured, "...it's this way..."

Yamamoto and Gokudera blushed pink and then ambled back towards Tsuna slowly.

Ryohei tilted his head to the side in confusion. Why was that person so confident about where to go?

.:.

"OH! Is that so?" Ryohei yelled enthusiastically, watching Tsuna with newfound respect. "You've memorized the entire inside of the shrine? You're incredible, Sawada!"

The chestnut haired boy blushed brightly, eyes fixed on his feet as they made it out from the eastern exit of the shrine. Reborn had lied to the silver haired man so that they could keep his identity a secret, but it was still awkward to have someone praise him for something that was half of a lie. After all, he _did_ know the inside of the shrine... but he only knew it instinctively...

As they stepped out, the boys noticed that there were no bandits in the vicinity prepared to attack them. Perhaps the bandits had all rushed towards the northern exit earlier...? The group carried on back down the mountain. Tsuna stared at the lands beneath them and his eyes shone brightly at the sight. Before, he couldn't see much of Pyrkagia because most of the land was covered in a hazy reddish plume, as though there were some sort of sandstorm kicking up in the distance. But on the other side of the mountain, the air was very clear and they were so high up that the province of Aeras looked like a huge stretch of light green land. To the left, the lands meshed into a strange orange-pinkish color, and to the right, a great expanse of lakes and rivers curled about the earth. In the far distance, Tsuna could see the hazy dark green earth of another area. For a moment, they all stopped just to admire the view. The other boys stood beside Tsuna, smiling softly and taking in the almost dream-like country that they lived in. Their mission from now on would be to search through all those places, visiting each and every part of it...

Mukuro leaned down to Tsuna and pointed at the glassy, dark blue lands to the right. "That's Nero, the province of water. The green bit over there is only a tiny part of Gi. It's truly a great province. And..." The sorcerer slowly moved his arm to the left, gesturing to the orange-pink lands. "That is Fotizo. We'll be heading there later..."

Tsuna's eyes widened, letting the image of the provinces laid out before him etch itself into his memories. This was the world he lived in... This was what he would've never seen if Mukuro hadn't come for him. It looked so beautiful... a view that even his dreams couldn't imagine.

Mukuro smiled tenderly and watched the boy's amber eyes shimmer in wonder. He closed his eyes and whispered gently, "I'll show you everything in this world, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Just you wait."

.:.


	7. A Moment of Relaxation

.:.

_A Moment of Relaxation _

.:.

It was nearing dusk. It had been a day since the six travelers had made their way off of the mountain and since the morning, they had started following a trail with a few occasional trees scattered about in the grass. A small creek weaved through the trail beside them, as though leading and urging them forward with its hushed whispering. Tsuna's gaze was glued to the sky, watching the colors fade from pink to orange, and then to a violet blue. Ryohei and Yamamoto were in a deep conversation about something called 'baseball' and 'boxing'. He had no idea what those things were but the two boys seemed to really like it because they could rant on to each other for hours. Gokudera was walking beside him, scowl ever present on his face. The silver haired pyro seemed to be looking at Mukuro, who walked in the lead as usual. Reborn was sitting on Tsuna's uninjured shoulder and there was a bubble near the baby-halfling's nose. Tsuna assumed that he was asleep.

And then, Mukuro paused. The group slowed to a stop, turning their attention towards the blue haired sorcerer. The man smiled and pointed at the small creek that had widened into a larger stream. The spot he was pointing at had a few trees to act as shade or cover from enemies or the wind. "Let's rest here."

Gokudera sighed in relief. "Yes! I've been holding it in for too long. Excuse me, Jyuudaime!" And then he ran off towards one of the trees. A bead of sweat ran down Tsuna's head as he watched the boy go. But he could understand the silver haired pyro's situation because when he started traveling with Mukuro, he had suffered the same problems... Correction, he still suffered the same problems...

Yamamoto and Ryohei had settled themselves beside a convenient rock between two trees and they set their bags against it, stretching their limbs out widely. The swallow perched on the swordsman's shoulder pumped its wings and soared into the sky, probably off to search for its own food. Tsuna walked in their direction and then let out a great sigh as he sat down. His legs were so sore from all the walking... How did Mukuro carry on for so long?

Oh yeah. He was a three-hundred year old sorcerer who was used to traveling.

The amber eyed boy gently lifted Reborn from his shoulder and placed the baby in his lap, being careful not to rouse him (since the last time he had done that, the baby had thrown him over and into the ground). After loosening his cloak and relieving himself of his bag, the boy untied the cloth binding his injured shoulder. He stretched the arm out a little, smiling when the muscles didn't hurt as much as before. It had been three days since the incident in Sidero and Tsuna's shoulder had been healing quickly. Already he could move his arm gently without having to feel an aching pain.

Mukuro settled beside the boy, laying his staff on the ground while popping off the top two buttons on the collar of his jacket. Then, he hauled his bag into his lap and rummaged around in it before pulling out a loaf of bread, wrapped neatly in paper. The sorcerer passed it to Tsuna and the boy grinned, accepting it happily. Mukuro took his own share from his bag and the two of them unwrapped their bread simultaneously, eating together. They chewed idly but comfortably as they stared at the darkening stream.

Gokudera returned, hands wet from washing them in the water. He wiped his hands on his pants and then plopped down beside Tsuna, fishing around his own bag—which he had thrown towards the camp site earlier—for food. The three of them chewed silently, continuing their admiring of the stream. And then, the silver haired pyro spoke up after swallowing.

"So, how long do you think it'll take to get there?" He eyed the sorcerer and took another bite from his bread. Mukuro's mouth worked itself as his eyes averted to the side in thought. Then, the sorcerer swallowed.

"Well... probably another day. It's quite close to Karmella Mountain. So it shouldn't take too long."

Yamamoto and Ryohei had come to join them now. The two boys grinned at them in an oddly similar style and Yamamoto dragged his bag away from the rock, leaning it against his thigh. He pulled out his own portion of dinner and clapped his hands together before eating. The boys fell into a warm silence, all basking in the pleasantness of eating. Suddenly, there was a loud growl. The boys blinked and then shifted their heads in the direction of the source.

Ryohei beamed.

Tsuna's eyes widened. That was right! Ryohei had been crazy enough to not bring food with him on his visit to the shrine! The guy was starving yesterday! Thankfully, Mukuro had bought plenty of dried foods and even shared an apple with the man (at Tsuna's insistence), but...

The brunet hastily broke off a part of his bread and was about to offer the silver haired man the piece when a few hands stopped him abruptly. He blinked in surprise and glanced at Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Mukuro curiously.

"W-what is it, guys...?"

Mukuro broke off some of his bread and flicked it at Ryohei. Gokudera tossed a bit of his to the silver haired man reluctantly. And Yamamoto ripped half of his bread to share with his new friend. Tsuna watched them in confusion and was about to offer his piece to Ryohei again when his companions obstructed him once more. He frowned in annoyance. He was only trying to help Ryohei...! Why didn't they let him? The boy narrowed his eyes slightly and then tried to sneakily dodge around the hands to pass his piece of bread to Ryohei. But he was blocked. _Again_. Tsuna sighed in exasperation and sent pointed stares at the three boys.

"Why won't you let me share my food?"

After a short silence, Yamamoto grinned sheepishly. "Well... no offense, Tsuna, but you're awfully scrawny for a normal human..."

Gokudera sent a glare at the swordsman and then turned to Tsuna with a pleading look in his eyes. "Jyuudaime, you should eat more so that you have enough energy to recover..."

Mukuro eyed the chestnut haired boy knowingly. "Besides, you don't often get to eat that much all by yourself. Isn't that so?"

Tsuna stared at the three boys, mouth agape. Then, his face flushed red and he withdrew his hand, lifting it to his mouth to munch slowly on the piece of bread himself. His friends smiled at him and continued to eat their own fill. Ryohei stared at the pieces of bread collected in his hands and he glanced at Tsuna, whose head was bowed down with a brightly blushing face. A wide grin spread across Ryohei's face.

"Sawada! You have such great friends!" The silver haired man shouted into the darkening sky.

Gokudera's cheeks went light pink and threw another bit of bread at the passionately yelling man. "Just eat your damn food, lawn-head...!"

.:.

Reborn woke a few minutes later, in the pile of Tsuna's cloak. He smiled as he recalled the three boys telling Tsuna to 'shut up and eat your own food' and he glanced around, trying to pinpoint where they all were now. The infant hopped to his feet, eyes darting towards the sounds rustling near the stream. He found the five boys lined up along the edge of the waters, each brushing their teeth with their individual brushes (Mukuro had gotten a new one for Tsuna in Sidero for the boy had left his old one back at the orphanage). Their long shadows were cast on the ground by the rising moon and Reborn stared at them wordlessly as they spit into the stream before bending down to rinse their mouths clean.

"..." Reborn turned away and decided that it was better off for him as a spirit to forget what he had just seen. Although he didn't see any spirits in the vicinity that might be offended—and Tsuna probably knew as well—he still felt that polluting the clean water was sort of... irritating. The baby trotted towards one of the bags surrounding the rocks and picked a stick of dried meat out from one of them, gnawing on it and letting the sweet and salty taste run through his mouth. Reborn swallowed and stole another piece. He didn't need to eat much. In fact, as a half-spirit, he didn't need to eat at all... but no one could turn down free food when it was right in front of their faces. Especially if it was good, dried meats like these. He peered into the bag, scanning over the contents before arriving at the conclusion that the bag belonged to Yamamoto. Reborn swallowed and nodded approvingly. The swordsman had good taste.

At the sound of footsteps, Reborn hopped back into Tsuna's cloak and watched the boys return to camp, all ready to get a good night's sleep before returning to their journey. Tsuna sat down on the grass and smiled cheerily at the baby-halfling, face looking all fresh after washing it a few times (when everyone's spittle and whatever else they did to the poor stream had washed away). The baby noticed that half of the bruises on the boy's face had already faded away. Probably due to that ointment he had seen the boy use the night before.

"Reborn! You're awake!" Tsuna chirped.

Reborn smirked and studied the reincarnated boy. "You seem pretty happy, Tsuna."

"Mm, because I got to brush my teeth with everyone else...!" The boy beamed, a small blush on his cheeks. The infant pat the ground beside him with his palm.

"That's good. Now go to sleep, Tsuna. You'll need it for tomorrow."

The amber eyed boy plopped down obediently on the area Reborn had gestured to and he let out a small yawn, slowly closing his eyes. Reborn leaned against the boy and nuzzled his back up against him, settling down for another nap.

"Good night, Reborn..." Tsuna mumbled and sighed into the cloak beneath him. "Night, everyone..."

Gokudera passed by and smiled at the brunet, who was already falling asleep. He pulled out his own cloak and laid it out on the grass, settling beside Tsuna far enough so that they didn't touch each other but close enough so he could protect him in the case of an emergency. The silver haired pyro shifted onto his side to gaze at the brunet's back. He licked his lips nervously and his eyes fell to the ground.

"G-Good night, Ts-Ts... g'night... Tsu... Tsuu..." Gokudera stuttered quietly and he blushed in embarrassment. He clenched his eyes together and tried again, a little more fiercely. "Good night, Tsuu...! Good night... Jyuudaime!" The boy blinked once and then let out a deep sigh. He lifted his green eyes back up to stare at the brunet again and a small smile alighted over his lips. "G'night, Jyuudaime..." The silver haired pyro whispered and then continued to watch Tsuna until his eyes closed shut from the accumulated exhaustion of the day.

Yamamoto had just finished wiping his face clean and now he moved to unfurl his own cloak on Tsuna's other side, nodding to Reborn in greeting before sitting down and placing his sword to his right so that it wasn't dividing him from Tsuna. He locked his fingers behind his head and fell back, sighing as his back hit the ground. The swordsman peered at the three to his left and studied them with chocolate brown eyes that twinkled brightly with a childish joy. Then, he smiled sincerely, eyes curving up into a crescent shape. "Night, Tsuna! Night, little guy! Night, Gokudera!" He turned towards the other two boys and lifted his head up to chime cheery, 'night!'s to each of them as well.

"Have a good rest, Yamamoto Takeshi." Reborn answered with a small grin and he watched the black haired boy sigh and relax into his makeshift bed once again, facial features settling into a peaceful expression. The baby-halfling eyed the two people still up and about.

Ryohei marched over, grinning like usual, and he propped his bag onto the rock where everyone else's possessions were arranged around. After sitting down cross-legged, he yelled an energetic, "Good night, everyone!"

The boys, who were already lying in their respective beds, didn't show any reaction. They were dead asleep. The silver haired man smiled at them and then gave Reborn a thumbs up before letting his head fall forward, onto the bag. A mere minute later, a series of soft snores came from the passionate man. Reborn smirked and then the baby's expression slid away as he glanced at the last person, standing by the side of the stream. The moonlight was hitting the man, causing him to seemingly glow in the distance. After a few minutes, Mukuro turned, having felt the baby's gaze on him for a while already. He smiled serenely, strolling back towards the camp of boys, all dreaming of the next day they would be spending together. As the sorcerer reached the group, he slowed and then asked in a light tone,

"What is it, Arcobaleno? Can't a man admire the night sky without being looked at suspiciously?"

Reborn kept a neutral face and started to mutter lowly. "What do you intend to do by staying so close to Tsuna? You are the reincarnation of the sorcerer. Even you don't know what you might do to Tsuna one day."

"..." Mukuro stared at the baby and the smile on his face faded, replaced with an unreadable expression. Then, he closed his eyes and shrugged the jacket off of his shoulders. Reborn silently observed the man drape the long coat over Tsuna. And then Mukuro sent a dry smile towards the baby. "If that time ever comes, there will be more than enough people to stop me. But for now, you can be reassured that I want nothing more..." He knelt down with a sustained grace and lifted the sleeve of the jacket tenderly, brushing his lips across the fabric; caressing the only thing connecting him to the slumbering boy. A faint expression of sincerity flitted over his lips and Mukuro lifted his mismatched eyes up to gaze at Tsuna with a delicate gentleness. "...than to keep him safe."

Reborn eyed the sorcerer as he swiftly pulled away after his last words and lifted his staff from the ground. Mukuro started wandering towards one of the trees but Reborn's whisper of one-word made him cease in his steps.

"_Why_?"

The baby waited patiently for an answer as the sorcerer tilted his head up to observe the indigo sky. Then, Mukuro turned his face halfway around, staring coldly back at Reborn, his red eye mysteriously illuminated in the night.

"Isn't it more **amusing** this way?"

His voice was almost automatic, like a machine, repeating something it had already echoed, over and over and over again. Reborn's lips twitched into a frown and the blue haired sorcerer didn't wait for a response, moving to sit under the tree he had set his eyes on. The man propped his staff up against the bark and then rest his head on the metal wearily, letting the cool steel soothe his mind. The halfling observed the man for a second before letting out a silent sigh. Then, he turned to gaze at the chestnut haired boy curled up to him, breathing evenly under the warm jacket. Reborn lifted a hand up to pat the boy's cheek softly. Tsuna mumbled something incoherent and he unconsciously shifted his face into the baby's palm, seeking the warmth from the simple touch. Reborn smiled and drew his hand away, lifting it up to pull his hat down over his eyes.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, you still have a long way to go. But let us truly hope that this curse will end with you... because once you are freed... you will be freeing so many others..."

.:.

_He was staring at the far reaching blue skies today. Just watching the tufts of white clouds traverse aimlessly across it, never stopping for anything or anyone. He smiled faintly. A giggle came from behind him and he only had a moment's warning before a searing pain hit his back, causing him to gasp and then fall forward onto his face. There was more giggling and someone snorted. He slowly lifted himself up and then turned his face around, blinking at the boys and girls that had circled him, towering over and blocking all of the clouds and sky. One of them mouthed something, lips moving at a slow pace but with no sound. And then a foot connected with his side, knocking the air out of him. He cried out but he couldn't hear it. Not the people laughing. Not the beating of his heart. Not even his own voice, shouting in pain and telling them desperately to stop. So he lay still, just waiting until it all passed. If he waited long enough, it would stop. It always stopped when he waited long enough..._

_Something was circling down in his stomach..._

_And suddenly, no one was there anymore. He was alone; standing upright, with bits of his clothes torn apart. Someone was staring at him. He turned to the wall that blocked him from the outside world and on the other side, perched casually on a tree branch, was a boy. The boy was smiling secretively. A soft gust of wind blew the boy's silky black hair to the side, bringing a faint scent of something antiquely sweet to him, while the branches and leaves rustled. His eyes widened in wonder as he gazed at the boy. Those grey-blue eyes looked so pretty..._

_"Who... are you?"_

_The boy continued to smile, eyes staring at him intently, as though inspecting an interesting animal. He moved forward slowly, examining the other boy. The boy wasn't running away from him...?_

"Wake up."

"Buh!" A tiny foot connected with Tsuna's cheek and the brunet flew across the grass from the force.

"Jyuudaime!" Gokudera exclaimed in worry. Then he whipped his head in the baby's direction and frowned. "Reborn-san!"

Reborn shrugged nonchalantly. "He looked like he was having a nightmare. And seeing as no one else can touch him, I decided to do the job for you guys. You should be thanking me."

The silver haired pyro bit his bottom lip. "I know but... you didn't have to kick him! His shoulder is still healing!"

Tsuna sat up groggily and rubbed his stinging cheek, blinking around at his surroundings. "Whaa...?" The boy saw Yamamoto crouch down beside him, a smile on his face. Tsuna noted that the swordsman was all geared up and ready to go, sword and bag strapped to his back.

"Hey, you all right?"

"Yeah..." He rubbed his eyes and yawned loudly. Then, he hurriedly closed his mouth, blushing in embarrassment. Yamamoto chuckled lightly, waving off the boy's actions. But after another second, the young man's eyes lowered.

"Tsuna, did you have a bad dream? You looked really uncomfortable in your sleep..."

The boy blinked once and then shook his head quickly. "N-no! It wasn't a bad dream or anything... just a past memory of mine." At the suspicious look in the swordsman's eyes, Tsuna laughed. "Yamamoto, really! It wasn't a bad dream. Or a bad memory..."

The black haired boy continued to watch the shorter one carefully. But then, he let out a sigh and a smile leapt onto his lips again. "Maa! If you say so." He sprang up on his feet and nudged his thumb in the direction of the boy's bag, already packed up by someone and set up against their campsite rock. "We'll be heading out soon. The sun just rose and Sasagawa says that we're nearly there. So we'll probably arrive around mid-morning."

"Ah!" Tsuna hastily climbed to his feet and nodded. "Thanks, Yamamoto!" The boy rushed towards his bag and smiled when he saw the blue haired sorcerer standing a few feet away, buttoning up his coat. He waved to him, "Good morning, Mukuro-san!"

Mukuro stopped and then glanced over at the chestnut haired boy, who was sending him a brilliant smile. He smirked and sent a little wave back, "Good morning, Tsunayoshi-kun. Did you have a good night's sleep?"

"Mm!" Tsuna nodded. The sorcerer chuckled and finished buttoning his collar, gaze falling back to his hands and the fabric in them.

"That's good."

Ryohei suddenly ran up and slapped Tsuna hard on the back. "GOOD MORNING, SAWADA!"

The boy yelped when a splitting pain shot up his back, causing his knees to buckle. The boy fell forward and all at once, something akin to an electric shock split through the camp site. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Ryohei. The silver haired man blinked in confusion and a bead of sweat dripped down his head. "Uhh... good morning, everyone else...?"

Gokudera stomped forward and grabbed the man by the collar, growling angrily, "What the hell do you think you're doing, lawn-head?"

"What?" Ryohei shouted back, slightly irritated by the other silver haired boy. "What did I do?"

Yamamoto forced a small smile across his face while a bead of sweat rolled down his cheek.

Mukuro moved forward and placed a hand on Gokudera's shoulder. He sent a dangerous smile towards Ryohei.

"We would appreciate it very much if you avoided touching Sawada Tsunayoshi in the future."

"Huh? You guys don't want me touching Sawada?" The silver haired man stared at them with a raised eyebrow, wondering why these people were acting so strangely all of a sudden. "Sure..."

"I'm glad that you understand." Mukuro chuckled and firmly pulled Gokudera's shoulder back. The silver haired pyro scowled and flung Ryohei backward, releasing his hands from the man's collar.

Ryohei watched the two boys leave him and join Yamamoto, who was already beside Tsuna, all trying to make sure the boy was unhurt. The silver haired man scratched the back of his head. Weird people...

Reborn hopped onto the man's shoulder and smirked. "Don't mind them. They're all just very overprotective of him. You see, it's like this..." And the baby leaned over, cupping a hand over the man's ear to whisper something.

"Hmm... I see, I see..." Ryohei nodded to himself, rubbing his chin with a hand in contemplation. Then, he raised an index finger into the air. "Ah! I know!" The man jogged towards the group and Reborn smirked to himself. "HEY, GUYS!" Ryohei hollered and gave them a thumbs up, along with an additional toothy grin. "Don't worry to the extreme, guys. I never had any intentions of stealing Sawada's virginity! But if you're still worried, I promise to never ever touch Sawada ever again!" His teeth gleamed brightly as the sun rose higher into the sky.

The boys gaped at him.

"Wuh...?"

Tsuna blinked in confusion and glanced from Ryohei to his other companions. "My virginity? I think I heard about it before… is it something important?" He remembered that during one of the conversations he had heard from the cellar, a girl mentioned something about 'taking my virginity' along with, 'have you done it before?'. But he never really understood what that meant... was it a game? Because the people who were talking sounded very excited at that time.

Gokudera's face flushed red and he turned to stare at Tsuna in horror. "Jyuudaime...! Your virginity is VERY VERY important...!" He even leaned his face in closer to emphasize his point, green eyes fixed upon the shorter boy intensely. Tsuna backed away and let out a few short laughs.

"O-Oh... o-o-okay..."

Ryohei narrowed his eyes at Tsuna and frowned slightly. "Sawada? You don't know what your virginity is?" The brunet shook his head quickly and the silver haired man beamed. "That's okay! I'll explain it to you in the most extreme way! Basically, YOUR VIRGINITY IS—!" His next words were muffled by Yamamoto's hand and Tsuna turned to the black haired swordsman questionably. Yamamoto blushed and gave the boy a weak laugh.

"Uhh, it's not so important that you need to know _exactly_ what it is, Tsuna. Well... I'll explain it to you at a better time... later... maybe..." The swordsman chuckled nervously and then turned to Ryohei. He leaned over the man, eyes turning slightly steely as he used his height to stare down his new buddy. "What are you trying to do? Look how innocent he is! Just let him stay like that for a little longer, Sasagawa-san...!" He muttered quickly in a low voice and Ryohei scratched his temple.

"Oh yeah, that's true..."

Mukuro had been observing the boys in amusement and his eyes flicked over to the Arcobaleno, who in turn was sending a mischievous smirk in his direction. The blue haired sorcerer chuckled. Well... since the Arcobaleno started it, why not add to the fire? The man stepped behind Tsuna and a playful smile spread across his lips.

"Tsunayoshi-kun..."

Tsuna looked up when he heard the sorcerer's voice from behind him. "Mukuro-san?"

Yamamoto and Gokudera paused, watching the sorcerer cautiously. What was that guy trying to do now...?

"Since your virginity is such an important thing, why don't you give it to me? I can take good care of it. After all, I am sure that I have more experience in caring for people's virginity than anyone else in this group."

The jaws of the two guardians went slack. This guy was trying to trick Tsuna into...!

Tsuna scrunched his eyebrows together in thought. He wouldn't mind giving such an important thing to Mukuro to take care of. After all, the man was a three-hundred year old sorcerer who had plenty of experience with the world. But he still had no idea _what_ his virginity was. If it was important then it probably wasn't a game. Maybe it was something everyone got when they were a baby...? If that were the case, then he probably didn't have one... because he couldn't really remember what being a baby had been like. Maybe Miss Popritte had taken it away from him? The brunet smiled sadly and turned to face the sorcerer. "I'm sorry, Mukuro-san. I don't think I can give you my virginity. I think I lost it when I was a baby. Or maybe someone took it away when I didn't know how important it was..."

Mukuro's mouth nearly fell open, not expecting such an answer. Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Ryohei's eyes rolled to the backs of their heads. Reborn let out a soft cough, trying to hide the mirth struggling to burst forth.

Tsuna raised an eyebrow at them, wondering why they had such strange reactions. Maybe he should figure out what exactly happened to his virginity... because it seemed really important...

After another second of gaping, Mukuro quickly lifted a hand up and clamped it firmly over his mouth. Then, the man turned away, squatting down to stifle the laughs threatening to burst out. Gokudera regained his usage of speech and he bent down on his knees, pleading to the amber eyed boy.

"Jyuudaime! _Please_ forget everything that took place right now! Just don't think about your virginity anymore because I am sure you didn't lose it! So, don't plague your mind with such thoughts. I'll take care of everything for you... okay, Jyuudaime? Okay?"

A bead of sweat ran down Tsuna's head. "O-Okay...?"

Gokudera sighed in relief. Mukuro peered at the group, cheeks flushed from holding in his breath for too long. His eyes landed on Tsuna again and he let out a small 'pfft!', gaining Gokudera's immediate attention. The boy's face twisted into a look of pure hatred.

"_You_..." His eyes narrowed and he pulled a stick of dynamite from his clothes. The pyro rose to his feet and started marching menacingly towards the sorcerer. "_You_... you fucking bastard of a sorcerer...! If I don't end your life today, I'll...!" Gokudera snarled and his voice rose higher in pitch as he spoke. The grass at his feet scorched on fire and Mukuro swiveled his head around, glancing over his shoulder at the boy. Then, he whipped his head around again, chortling to himself. Gokudera's eyes darkened and the flames at his feet seemed to grow in intensity, somehow burning in a circle around him and not spreading to the other grasses. Reborn's eyes gleamed.

Yamamoto had been laughing loudly even before Gokudera had started burning. He was already doubled over and slapping his thigh. The boy wiped the tears at his eyes and then pointed at Tsuna with a shaking finger. "Oh, Tsuna. You have no idea what you just...! Aha ha ha!"

Ryohei chuckled loudly as well and then he slowly shifted his eyes from Tsuna's deeply confused look to the scene of an inferno circling around Gokudera fiercely. The silver haired man jabbed his thumb at the pyro and sorcerer. "Uhh, is there something wrong with my eyes, or is there an extreme fire surrounding octopus-head?"

Reborn smirked. "No, Sasagawa Ryohei, you are not seeing things. Hayato is a pyro, a person who can control fire. That is why the rest of the grass has not caught on fire yet."

"Woah... so he's..." The silver haired man grinned and bopped a fist into his open palm. "So he's a fire octopus!"

"..." Reborn decided not to say anything. Or rather, there wasn't anything he could say to the man's revelation. Instead, he leapt off of the man's shoulder and landed smoothly on the ground, half-expecting what would come next.

"HEY, FLAMING OCTOPUS-HEAD!" Ryohei shouted energetically, catching the attention of the silver haired pyro. Gokudera whipped his head around, baring his teeth at the man.

"And _you_...!" Gokudera marched towards Ryohei, fire growing into a wall of flames behind him. "You're the start of it all! I'LL KILL YOU, GODDAMNIT!" And the sleeve of the silver haired man's shirt suddenly caught on fire. Ryohei stared at his sleeve with wide eyes.

"Woah! You set my clothes on fire!" He grinned at Gokudera, sweat beading on his brow from the intense heat creeping up his arm. "You are one extreme man, flaming octopus-head!"

Tsuna gulped and extended a hand towards Ryohei. "Umm... Sasagawa-san... that fire isn't going to put itself out..."

"Right." The silver haired man slapped at the fire a few times. But it wouldn't go out. Ryohei frowned as the flames continued to spread and he dropped to the ground, rolling quickly. Tsuna's eyes widened. The same thing had happened to one of the assassins who were targeting Gokudera in Sidero... He ran towards the pyro and started shouting.

"Gokudera-kun! Wait! Stop! You're going to kill him!"

Reborn frowned as the circle of fire around Gokudera started to flicker erratically. He was losing control... Mukuro observed calmly from the side, waiting for the end result. Would the silver haired man burn to a crisp? Would the pyro learn to control his flames? Or...?

Suddenly, someone tossed Ryohei into the stream. The fires on his body went out with a soft _shhh_!

In the next second, a great wave of water soared from the stream and soaked everyone standing beside it. Gokudera blinked several times, water dripping from his hair. Tsuna wiped the water from his eyes and glanced around blearily, wondering what had happened. Mukuro had leapt away in time and Reborn had transformed Leon into an umbrella, repelling away the clear water. Yamamoto grinned cheerily, water dripping from his hair, and he flicked his sword dry. The young man was standing beside Ryohei in the stream.

"Sorry about that, guys. But things were getting a little out of hand."

Gokudera stared at the swordsman silently and then he scowled, turning away while thrusting his wet dynamite into one of his pockets. He glared at the ground.

Again. He had lost control again.

Reborn hopped towards him.

"Hayato, if you keep beating yourself up over losing control, you'll never improve."

"Reborn-san..." The silver haired pyro lifted his eyes from his feet to look at the baby. Reborn tipped his hat down and smirked.

"Let's start everyone's training today. We'll do it as we head to the Temple of Aeras. But first... Tsuna!"

"Eh?" The chestnut haired boy pointed at himself when his name was called.

"All the people who are wet, strip. Hang your clothes on the trees."

"EH?" Tsuna blinked a couple of times. "W-Wait... so by training, you mean you want me to summon some wind to dry our clothes...?"

A half-grin stretched across Reborn's lips. "Good, you're catching on quickly."

"B-But...!" Tsuna glanced at his companions nervously. What if he screwed up and everyone's clothes went flying everywhere...?

"Then, we'll just have you fly around to gather all the clothes."

Tsuna gaped at the baby. He would have to fly around half-naked, searching through the region to gather everyone's clothes...? And wait, he didn't say anything... how did Reborn know what he was thinking?

"I've mastered how to read people's minds." The baby's beady black eyes glinted in the sunlight. "Now strip."

The boys stared at the baby silently. And then obediently peeled off their clothes.

Mukuro eyed the group over in amusement. Now this was quite an interesting development...

.:.

A man with curly black hair whistled to himself, calmly driving a colorful wagon across the road to Jier, one of the main cities of Aeras. His right eye was closed shut and he stared at the road with one green eye, confident that he could steer his horses with just that eye. As he lifted a hand to fix the horns on the sides of his head, a strong gust of wind suddenly whipped past and the man held an arm up to block the dust from clouding his vision. A pair of damp pants floated down from the sky and he caught it in his hands, staring at it curiously. Another gust of wind zipped in his direction and both of the man's eyes opened wide when he saw a scrawny boy fly towards him, wearing only a change of boxers, while holding an armful of clothes. His other arm was outstretched and the boy's face was blushing brightly.

"S-Sorry!" The strange boy snatched the pants from him and then zoomed off to another field, dipping down to gather a shirt and a cloak. The man gaped at the boy for a few seconds and then whipped his head back to the road, pretending that nothing had happened just then. Maybe he had ingested something strange earlier in the morning...

.:.


	8. Temple of Aeras

.:.

_Temple of Aeras _

.:.

"Wow..."

The group of fated travelers were standing in an enormous clearing, afternoon sun shining on their backs. The stream that they had been following previously was now a large river, running straight through a large, circular building constructed over it. The outer walls were sparkling white, as though they were washed daily, and the fields were cropped neatly, carefully tended to every morning. A few pale white flowers bloomed in neat rows along the river and the few petals that fell off, slipped into the bank, carried by the water before entering the building. Tsuna's eyes widened at the sight, cheeks turning pink. "Amazing... and there's so many spirits...!" A few spirits, similar to the ones he had seen on the mountain, sat on the white flowers, rinsing their feathers or hair in the purified water. A few others circled around the top of the temple, giggling to each other. They noticed the chestnut haired boy and waved enthusiastically. Tsuna smiled back and waved in greeting. Reborn tipped his hat towards them.

They started walking towards the temple, but as the beautiful structure drew closer and closer, Tsuna started to wonder about the reason they were going there...

This was a place of purity. He was cursed. Mukuro had said that to break the curse, they would go visit places of purity. But... how would he know that the curse was broken? Would something burst out from him when he stepped into the temple? Would it hurt? Would there be something he could feel change within him? Would nothing happen?

All of a sudden, he felt very reluctant to enter that temple.

The brunet slowed and his companions sent him looks of confusion. Gokudera spoke up, worry apparent in his voice.

"What's wrong, Jyuudaime...?"

Tsuna looked up into the green eyes of his guardian. Then, his eyes darted to Ryohei for a second before shifting back down to his hands. "Umm... well... should I really go there? I mean... what do you think will happen... when I... when I go inside...?"

Ryohei scratched his head in confusion. "I guess... we'd see... a lot of girls?"

The other boys glanced at each other, small frowns on their faces. Then, as though they all had suddenly agreed on something together, they smiled. Mukuro directed his smile to the overly concerned boy.

"Kufufu... Tsunayoshi-kun, you are such a fool."

The boy frowned slightly after being called a fool by the sorcerer. Why was it foolish to be worried? He was about to retort back when Reborn pat him on his shoulder.

"Tsuna, if you don't go inside, we'll never know. So you're going in no matter what, even if it means having to use force."

"But—!"

"Just think about it," Reborn cut the boy off, "If nothing happens when you enter, then we'll just focus on getting you to learn the dance before moving on to Fotizo. If 'something good' happens, then we will have achieved our goal. But if something bad happens, did you think we would just sit back and do nothing?"

Tsuna was about to voice his own thoughts when he paused and then turned to blink at Mukuro, who merely smiled back.

Gokudera's eyes shone in determination. "Even if it costs me my life, I'll make sure nothing ever harms you, Jyuudaime!"

"Yeah, Tsuna," Yamamoto gave the boy a wide grin. "We'll always protect you when something goes wrong. You're not alone, remember?"

Ryohei nodded vigorously. "I don't know what you guys are talking about, but if anything bad happened to Sawada, of course I'd help stop it, too!"

The brunet peered at all of his friends' faces and then he blushed faintly, feeling his body grow warm from a fuzzy feeling tickling under his skin. "O-Oh... I didn't think... of that... sorry..." He lifted his head up and a small, but brilliantly warm smile spread across his lips. "Thank you..."

Yamamoto laughed. "Anytime!"

"You can count on me, Jyuudaime!" Gokudera beamed. Mukuro chuckled and then gestured to the temple.

"Shall we move on, then?"

"Yeah!" The group chorused together and followed after the sorcerer once again. As they neared the front doors, a small intricate sign on the side of the road, plated in white with golden script on the front, caught their attentions. The boys stopped to stare at it curiously, wondering why a sign would be constructed right there, and Tsuna studied the words, admiring the beautiful engravings. He couldn't read it, for no one had taught him how to, but it looked pretty...

Gokudera pulled back and then he scowled before narrowing his eyes at Ryohei and Mukuro. "Oi, what's the meaning of this...?"

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow, reading out loud. "The Temple of Aeras. No males allowed inside." A bead of sweat ran down his head. "Er... so when you said that only pure maidens lived here... you meant that not even guys could go in to visit...?"

Mukuro tapped his chin with a finger. "Oh yeah... I didn't mention that, did I?"

Tsuna's eyes widened. "EH? B-But... aren't we all males? Doesn't that mean we can't go in?"

"What the hell?" Gokudera spat out ferociously. "So you mean we came here for nothing? What's wrong with you, pineapple-head? And..." The silver haired pyro whipped around to point at Ryohei accusingly. "...your sister lives here! How would you not know this?"

Ryohei frowned at the sign. Then, he turned towards Gokudera, shouting passionately with his fists balled together, "I FORGOT TO THE EXTREME!"

Gokudera slapped his palm against his forehead. "Damn lawn-head..." He eyed the blue haired sorcerer. "So, what now? Are we going to Fotizo?"

"Ku fu fu fu fu fu..." Mukuro started mysteriously. The other boys gulped. Somehow along their journey, they had learned from their short time together that if the sorcerer's laugh carried on for longer than three 'fu's, it signaled that something sinister was definitely plotting in the man's mind... Mukuro smiled charmingly and then swung his bag around his shoulder, setting it down on the ground with a resolute thud.

"We're breaking in."

"EH?"

.:.

Four people stood in a row, staring at the Temple of Aeras with blank looks. Tsuna laughed dryly, glancing towards Mukuro, who was standing in front of them like a sports coach.

"By breaking in... you meant..."

Gokudera's face had darkened considerably. "I am **not** wearing this."

Mukuro chuckled and crossed his hands over his chest. "But you're already wearing it, Hayato-kun! And it looks just perfect on you. Aren't you all glad that I decided to keep the ones our little resident pyro didn't burn? I thought it might come in handy later..."

Gokudera clenched his fists together, body trembling in anger. "You prepared this all on purpose, didn't you...!"

Tsuna gulped and scooted away from the pyro, afraid that he would literally go up in flames. Reborn tucked his hat into Tsuna's bag and then pulled out two black strips from the pocket of his suit, which had been neatly folded and stuffed in beside his hat. The baby slapped the strips over his eyebrows and then turned towards the others, the dress on his small body fluttering lightly as he moved. Leon had morphed into a green necklace around the infant's neck.

"Everyone ready? Call me Reboko when you see me dressed like this." He grabbed a bunch of his hair—that he had somehow straightened and smoothed down—and stuck it in his mouth, gnawing on it. "Don't look down on me."

Tsuna drew backwards in fear. "W-What kind of girl are you trying to be?"

Yamamoto laughed loudly and watched the baby in interest. "That's pretty unique!"

Tsuna eyed the swordsman and a bead of sweat ran down his head. "You're the one that's unique..."

"Hm?" Yamamoto glanced down at himself. "You think so?" The young man was wearing a very normal yellow dress that Mukuro had handed to him. It was all very normal and plain, except for... _**that**_. The boy's shoulders were too broad and they stretched the dress abnormally across his very very flat chest. Plus, the fact that he had short, black hair—that didn't match at all with his image—made him look very... _unique_.

Mukuro frowned at the swordsman. "Something looks off..."

"No kidding..." Gokudera rolled his eyes. He pulled at the pink dress he was wearing in disgust and scratched his collar where the white lace was chafing against his skin. "I'm wearing a freakin' dress! The airhead swordsman is wearing a freakin' dress! The lawn-head is wearing a freakin' dress! There is something definitely 'off' with all of that!"

Tsuna examined the silver haired pyro, who had pulled his hair back in a tiny pony tail, and the boy gave his guardian a small smile. "I think you look pretty good, Gokudera-kun."

Gokudera glanced at Tsuna and then blushed from the praise. He lifted a hand up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "Y-You think so, Jyuudaime?" Then, he paused and his eyes went blank. The silver haired boy crouched down in the grass, arms wrapped around his knees as he muttered something along the lines of, 'Wait, why would I feel happy about that...?'

Mukuro eyed Yamamoto over, circling the boy. "Hmm... hmm..."

The swordsman scratched his cheek, waiting for the sorcerer's inspection to end. Finally, Mukuro stopped and smiled brightly. "I know, let's cut off the sleeves and make the skirt wavier and shorter! That might make you look more feminine!" Yamamoto grinned back.

"Okay! Let's try that!" And then he pulled the dress off, careful not to rip it.

Tsuna watched in fascination, amazed and stunned by the sheer prowess the sorcerer and the swordsman exhibited as they started to "design" the yellow dress, pointing and carving and slicing at the fabric with their respective weapons. A minute later, Yamamoto donned the yellow dress again. Now that the bottom was shorter, the wind seemed to flow through it more easily, causing the young man's hair and dress to flutter about in the air together. Tsuna smiled. It looked so much better! Then his smile faded away when he noticed Yamamoto's bare, muscular arms.

"Uhhh..." He voiced. But Mukuro beat him to it and held his coat out to the swordsman.

"Try this on!"

Yamamoto grinned appreciatively and slipped the coat on. Perfect. Now he looked like... a... manly girl? Not really... None of them knew how to describe the swordsman. The closest description they could come up with was: a tall girl with a flat chest, rough facial features, and a clashing fashion taste. But he could still kind of pass off as a girl. And that was the important part.

The last of their group stood at the end of the line, body completely stiff in a light green dress. The boys stared at Ryohei and forced smiles across their faces.

The man looked... scary.

_Real_ scary.

Ryohei grinned at them.

"How do I look, guys?"

"Uhh..."

"Er..."

"Well..."

The chorus of uncertainty continued on and they averted their eyes to avoid the question. After a second, Tsuna blinked once, realizing that he hadn't asked the others to examine him.

"Hey, wait, what about me?"

They turned to him and then immediately, smiles burst forth from their faces as they admired the light blue dress on the boy's thin body.

"You look absolutely great, Jyuudaime!" Gokudera beamed, face sparkling.

"You don't even have to ask, Tsuna. It's almost natural!" Yamamoto smiled brightly.

"Sawada, you're so awesome! You can look like a girl _and_ a guy to the extreme!" Ryohei grinned toothily.

Tsuna's mouth hung open at the comments. He had been expecting... well... something different. But apparently he looked just like a girl! The boy crouched in the grass, mood suddenly taking a nose-dive. Mukuro chuckled at the brunet hiding in the field.

"Didn't I tell you the very first time we met, Tsunayoshi-kun?"

Tsuna pouted and tried to ignore the sorcerer, sending a teary look at a dandelion that was trying to cheer him up.

Gokudera turned to Mukuro and crossed his arms over his chest, looking the man up and down. He frowned deeply. "And what about you? Why aren't you wearing a dress, too?"

"Me?" Mukuro feigned a look of surprise and the pyro's glare intensified. "Why that's because we ran out of dresses!" The man smiled easily.

"WHAT? Then why do we have to wear the dresses?" Gokudera shouted at him.

Mukuro chuckled softly. "That's because I can do... this!" He twirled his staff and suddenly, standing before them was a girl with shoulder length purple hair and large, violet eyes. The boys gasped at the sudden change. The image of the sorcerer had just changed right before their eyes...! It was as though that girl had been Mukuro this entire time. Even Tsuna turned, momentarily forgetting how hurt his ego (however small) was, and his amber eyes widened. Somehow, the girl looked... familiar to him.

The girl chuckled a familiar, 'kufufu', and the boys flinched once before inching backwards.

"I am Chrome Dokuro." She tilted her head towards Tsuna, who was staring back in shock after hearing the name. She smiled sweetly at the boy. "This is just an illusion though."

"No wonder she looked sort of familiar..." Tsuna murmured to himself. It was... Nagi. His past reincarnation. The brunet blushed faintly as he watched the girl move about in her white dress. She was really pretty... It was no wonder Mukuro liked her so much...

Chrome quickly tied her hair up and the boys coughed and choked when they saw the usual pineapple-looking hairstyle on the girl. Why did Mukuro like that hairstyle anyway...? She lifted up Mukuro's bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Okay, let's go!" The girl pointed her staff to the temple, causing the group to quickly regain their sense of movement. They gathered their things and then marched forward. Chrome turned to eye Ryohei at the back. Her lips curved down slightly and she waved her staff at him. "I should probably do something about you... this is only temporary until we get you a better disguise..."

And then, almost out of a fairytale story book, Ryohei's dress was replaced with a loose white dress, similar to the one Chrome wore, except the man had long, draping sleeves and the girl had none. The rest of the boys watched the change with round eyes. Well... that just made a huge difference!

After examining Ryohei over, Tsuna blinked in surprise when he heard soft giggles coming from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and then blushed in embarrassment when he found a large group of spirits crowding together near the riverside, pointing at them and whispering to each other in hushed tones. Reboko stared straight at them and gnawed on 'her' hair.

"Don't look down on me."

The spirits gulped and then turned away, whistling to each other and floating off to do their own business. Tsuna laughed lightly and glanced down at the baby, who smirked back up at him.

The group of boys-in-disguise nodded to each other and then trekked onward bravely, eyes set in fierce determination.

They were breaking in...!

.:.

Chrome rapped her knuckles on the front doors lightly and the group waited patiently for them to open. Tsuna took this chance to study the temple gates and his amber eyes glimmered as he examined the beautiful light blue carvings lining the pale white doors. He wondered vaguely if the girls who lived here made this place themselves... One of the doors opened a crack and a young woman with long black hair peered out, staring at them suspiciously. She eyed them over and then opened the door a little wider to get a better view of their group.

"Hmm... are you guys new around here? I don't think I've seen any of you in the city before..."

"Guys? What guys?" Gokudera smiled nervously, cold sweat dripping down the back of his head. "I don't see any guys around here...!" Yamamoto nudged the boy in the side with his elbow, trying to get him to shut up. The girl raised an eyebrow at the silver haired 'girl'.

Chrome lowered her eyes and held both of her hands over her staff, trying to look innocently troubled. "Well, I traveled all the way from the province of Gi to reach this temple..." The purple haired girl nodded towards Tsuna and spoke up for him, knowing that the boy couldn't lie properly. "This is my friend that I met along the way. She told me that she came from Fotizo." Tsuna blinked in surprise and then gulped, facing the young woman at the doorway. He nodded quickly to affirm Chrome's statement. The rest of the boys stared incredulously as Chrome continued gently, "We were interested in coming here because we heard that this is a place that purifies our mind and soul..." The girl glanced at the rest of the group and added a simple. "I don't know the rest of them."

The boys' jaws fell open, internally.

The dark haired girl listened to Chrome with half-lidded eyes and then eyed the other girls. "Uh huh? And what's your story?" She nodded to the rest of them. The boys swallowed.

Reboko started first. "I was abandoned at the foot of Karmella Mountain by my parents. The gods were kind enough to raise me."

Tsuna gave the baby-halfling a wide-eyed stare. Was that supposed to be a valid reason?

But the young woman seemed to accept it and she turned to the next person.

Yamamoto smiled his most earnest smile and he rubbed the back of his head. He raised the pitch of his voice as he spoke, "I'm from Northern Nero. I lived in a shrine there and my dad told me to come here to study the purification rituals..."

As Yamamoto passed the examination, Ryohei grinned toothily and was about to speak proudly when he caught himself. The silver haired man settled for an airy and hoarse, "I have a sister here... so I wanted to, erm... join her. I live around here. I just like to hide away from crowds... most of the time..."

The girl's eyebrows twitched upward. "And I see why..." Her eyes shifted to the most nervous of the group. A frown fell across her lips. "And you...?"

Gokudera swallowed and started picking at the lace on his dress. He blushed brightly. "I..." He fixed his voice and forced a smile across his face. "I-I'm from Southern Pyrkagia... t-there were some travelers who told me about this place... I'm here... to s-seek... refuge..."

The dark haired girl studied them over once more before opening the doors wide. She gave them a soft smile and welcomed them in. "Sorry about that. It's a mandatory process. The journey must have been long for you guys, huh?" The girl sent an especially gentle look towards Gokudera. "I heard there's something going on in Southern Pyrkagia. Assassins? And then bandits at Karmella Mountain... No wonder you look so paranoid."

Gokudera made two short laughs in response, unable to decide whether the comment on his sanity was good or bad.

She led them into the temple and the boys cheered inwardly, having succeeded in infiltrating the pure grounds of the temple.

As they entered, the boys looked up at the inside of the temple, eyes growing round after taking in the simple yet elegant architecture. They were staring down a long hall that led towards another room a couple of meters away. The walls were a greyish silver and decorated in warm white lamps, which lit up two straight paths of water on the marble floor, trickling along both sides of the hallway. Gokudera leaned over to whisper to Tsuna.

"Jyuudaime, do you feel any different?"

The boy closed his eyes, trying to sense anything. Then, he shook his head at the silver haired boy. He didn't feel any different... Tsuna peered down, watching Gokudera's hand hanging by the boy's side. A little test shouldn't hurt, right? The brunet stuck out his index finger and then reached over, slowly looping it around one of Gokudera's fingers. The contact tingled his skin. Gokudera jumped at the sudden touch and then looked down at their hooked fingers with wide eyes. Tsuna's eyes had widened as well and the two boys stared at each other, a strange bubbling feeling rising in their chests. Shivers ran up and down his arms as Tsuna stared at his guardian. He... was cured? But suddenly, like a sharp spark, a burning pain pierced into his finger and the boy yanked his hand away from Gokudera's, stifling a yelp.

"Jyuudaime!" Gokudera shouted in a whisper and reached his hands out in concern, wanting to grab the boy's hands and inspect them thoroughly. But he halted, the reddening mark on Tsuna's finger quickly reminding him of his inability to touch the boy. He bit his bottom lip. "Jyuudaime..."

Tsuna gulped and clasped his other hand over the stinging finger, hiding it from view. His eyes lowered to the floor. The curse hadn't been cured... The boy sighed and then clutched his hands together against his chest. Well... at least it didn't hurt for a second. That meant that Mukuro was right and that going to pure grounds had the possibility to break the curse. Maybe Fotizo would provide some more answers... but for now, as Reborn had said, he would focus on learning the dance of Aeras.

As they continued down the hall, the dark haired girl, who was leading, turned her head over her shoulder to smirk at the group.

"The name's Kurokawa Hana, by the way. I'm sort of in charge of the door." She chuckled wryly. "Maybe I look intimidating enough to be the door keeper?"

The boys laughed hesitantly.

"Anyway, I'll take you guys to the head coordinator. She'll assign you rooms and jobs."

Hana brought them into a square room and Tsuna gasped at the sight, all thoughts on his curse blown from his mind. They had entered the center of the temple. A circular stage sat in the middle, white steps tiered up around it, and the river from outside was divided through a design of a beautiful looking woman carved into the stage before separating down eight paths, flowing away from the circle and down towards the four great halls of the temple. Instead of a ceiling, a great glass dome acted as a roof, allowing the sun's rays to light up the room in a glowing white. A few spirits passed through the glass, swooping down to laugh and point at them in amusement. At the very peak of the glass dome, a mirror image of the same woman on the floor was glowing from above them, sunlight bursting through the colored glass and staining the white floor with color. Tsuna studied the colored picture on the floor and traced its path to where it would be when the sun shone directly overhead.

"Is this supposed to overlap with the stage at some time during the day...?" Tsuna asked curiously. Hana smiled.

"Yeah, it's how we tell time during the day. When Aeras reaches the center, we call it 'Golden Hour'. We gather here during that time to practice the traditional dance. You see, there's this old rumor that Aeras likes to descend on the stage during 'Golden Hour', so we also start dance practice at the same time to show respect."

Reboko's eyes gleamed and she exchanged a look with Chrome. The purple haired girl nodded in understanding and then started to shuffle her feet anxiously. She glanced around the room and asked softly, "Umm... I'm not very good at dancing... will we be learning the dance as well...?"

Hana laughed. "Oh, don't worry. We don't let the new ones learn right away. Only the third years and up will be dancing. So you'll have plenty of time to just watch and practice in private!"

Chrome sighed and smiled. "Ahh... thank goodness." Then, she frowned and glanced at Reboko again. The baby smirked and nodded. It would be fine as long as they were allowed to watch the dance. Besides, it would be better if Tsuna didn't have to show the other girls his special affinity with the dance of Aeras. It would attract too much attention.

Hana had started to lead them around the stage, towards the northern hall.

A couple of girls walked through from the east and they peered at the new group in interest. Yamamoto smiled and waved at them in a friendly gesture. The girls involuntarily blushed in embarrassment and they picked up their pace. The swordsman blinked in confusion. What was that about?

Another group of girls came down the northern hall, chattering to each other softly. When they entered the square room, they blinked and watched Gokudera walk past coolly. The girls flushed pink and whispered to each other, pointing at the new girl joining the temple.

Tsuna noticed all this with his amber eyes. He had seen a few girls react the same way towards the boys in the orphanage... Somehow, his two guardians were attracting girls to them without even trying...? Even though they were girls right now? The brunet stared at the two boys. He knew that they looked really handsome, and according to the girl's at the orphanage, they would probably be 'popular'. The boy watched another group of girls walk past and they were eyeing their group with round eyes and faint blushes. So this was what it meant to be 'popular'...

Hana glanced over her shoulder, watching them dully. "Oh yeah, I didn't catch your names, did I?"

The boys fidgeted when they heard the question. They hadn't thought much about that...

"I am Chrome Dokuro." The purple haired girl bowed and then gestured to Tsuna. "This is Tsunako. She's a little shy and doesn't speak much. But actually, she prefers to be called Tsuna. So I'm sure she would be very happy if people addressed her as Tsuna rather than Tsunako."

Tsuna blinked. Hn? Wow. What an elaborate lie...

Reboko jumped onto Tsuna's shoulder and chewed at the strands of hair in her mouth. "Reboko. Don't look down on me."

Yamamoto smiled. "I'm Yamamoto Take...ri. Just call me... umm... Yama-chan? Ha ha?"

Gokudera muttered slowly, "Gokudera Hayame..."

Ryohei grinned and shouted airily. "I'm Sasagawa Ryoko...! Nice to meet you to the extreme!"

Hana's eyes lit up at the last name and she walked to Ryoko's side. "Ah, your sister is Sasagawa Kyoko?"

"You know my sister?" Ryoko exclaimed in shock and the boys, who were now behind Hana, signaled to the silver haired boy to keep his voice down.

The young woman laughed, not sensing the hasty motions the boys were making behind her, and continued to speak. "I'm her best friend and roommate! I'm surprised she hasn't mentioned me to you. But, now that I think of it..." The girl leaned towards Ryoko in confusion. "...she never mentioned having a sister... she has a brother though..."

Beads of sweat ran down the heads of all the boys. Not. Good.

"Ohhh..." Chrome suddenly fainted over, crumpling to the ground. Hana's attention redirected itself upon the purple haired girl. The young woman raised an eyebrow.

"Are you all right?"

"Just... a little tired." Chrome smiled weakly and slowly pulled herself up with her staff.

The boys gave Chrome a hand of thumbs. Nice save.

"Ah right, sorry about that. You guys have been traveling for so long..." Hana smiled sheepishly and jogged down to the end of the hallway. "The head coordinator is right over here, behind this door." She knocked twice and then twisted the brass doorknob on the last door of the many other ones that lined both sides of the hallway. Before she pushed it open, Tsuna noted briefly that the plaque number on the front had the numbers, '1001' in bronze.

The door swung in and Hana walked forwards, a small smile on her lips. The boys peered in and found a girl with long black hair, tied into two pigtails, sitting at a long desk in the middle of the room. Her forehead was slightly larger than other people and a pair of glasses lay on the rim of her nose as she flipped through a few pages and scribbled something on them with a pencil.

"I-pin." Hana probed gently. "I-pin, we have a few new people joining us. Can you give them some rooms?"

The girl named I-pin scribbled something else down and then looked up in confusion. "What was that? New people?" Hana gestured to the entrance and the boys put on their best smiles that they could manage. A gentle smile crossed I-pin's features and she pushed a few papers away to pull out another stack, clipped together with a stapler. "Ah, welcome! Let's see... first off, do you have any preferences on who you would like to room with?" She asked while lifting a pencil up, keeping it poised over the paper.

The boys glanced at each other and then started simultaneously.

"Er... Reboko?"

"Jyuudai—I mean, her."

"Tsuna-chan."

"Anyone's fine with me!"

"I don't know to the extreme!"

They glanced at each other silently. Chrome and Hayame both had similar looking grins pasted to their faces. The purple haired girl giggled.

"Why, Hayame-chan. Are you sure you want to room with Tsuna-chan? After all... we just met today and we have no idea who you are, isn't that so, Tsuna-chan...?"

The silver haired 'girl' laughed dryly. "Well, isn't that why we're here, Chrome-_chan_? To make new friends and purify our minds and souls...? We should keep open minds and souls, isn't that right...?"

Tsuna gulped and stared at the two nervously, feeling an intimidating electricity fly between them. "Umm... guys... I'm sure... we can work something out...?" The brunet sighed when they didn't hear him and then he lifted a timid hand towards I-pin. "Umm... I think I'll room with Reboko." He pointed to the baby biting on his hair.

"Don't look down on me."

The girl jotted it down. "Okay, Reboko and Tsuna in one room."

Chrome and Hayame froze. Then, they turned to give Tsuna sad looks. The amber eyed boy blushed pink and shifted himself behind Yama-chan to shield himself from their eyes. "F-Fine, I'll go visit you guys..."

The swordsman glanced over his shoulder at Tsuna and then laughed cheerily.

"Don't forget to visit me, too, Tsuna!"

The brunet smiled and nodded his head.

.:.

In the end, the boys were separated as thus:

Reborn and Tsuna in the northern hall. Room 1027.

Ryohei and Gokudera in the northern hall. Room 1059.

Mukuro and Yamamoto in the western hall. Room 6980.

They stared at the numbers on their keys and eyed Mukuro and Yamamoto's keys with raised eyebrows.

"Why does it... suddenly jump from 10-something to 69-something...?" Tsuna inspected the key curiously and wondered aloud, voicing the other's thoughts. Hana smirked at them, not bothering to answer the question, and then waved in a carefree manner.

"Well, just take your time to explore. The food court is in the west hall. I've gotta head back to my duties. If you have any problems just ask I-pin. I'll tell Kyoko you came, Ryoko! See you around!" And then she jogged off.

The boys stared at their keys and then smiled at each other eagerly. It felt like it had been forever since they were able to sleep in a proper room! What would it look like?

They found Tsuna and Reborn's room first. The brunet unlocked the door, a small blush spreading over one of his cheeks because it was the first time he had opened a lock, and pushed it open. The group peered inside, examining the room with shimmering eyes. It was very plain but they immediately took a liking to it. The walls were painted a pale beige and there were two wooden dressers—with clean, white and loose dresses folded neatly inside for them to change into—on opposite sides of the room. Two comfy beds clung to the walls, beside the dressers, and a pair of identical desks were propped up at the back. Another door to the right of the room revealed a small bathroom, equipped with toilet, sink, and shower. A single round and flat light source glowed from the center of the ceiling.

Tsuna moved towards one of the beds and dropped his bag on the ground before turning and falling, back first into the mattress. He let out a small giggle as his body bounced against the white sheets. Yamamoto grinned and accompanied the shorter boy, stretching himself over the bed and causing both of their bodies to jiggle on the bed. They laughed together and soon were joined by Gokudera and Mukuro, who splayed themselves out across the sheets, careful not to come into contact with Tsuna, and they all stretched and relaxed their aching muscles.

"Ahh..." Tsuna closed his eyes as he felt a strong peacefulness suddenly take over him. The boys laid there contently and Reborn climbed up, sitting beside the amber eyed boy. Ryohei made a jump over Mukuro and Yamamoto, and the two men (or rather, one man and one illusion of a girl) wheezed as the muscular body fell on top of them, making the bed springs creak underneath their combined weights. And after a second of exchanging flitting glances, they sprang into a great fit of laughter. Their peals of laughter rose in intensity when they realized that they were still wearing their dresses and then slowly, they sighed together and fell into a calm silence again. As the group of weary travelers stared at the blank ceiling, Reborn suddenly stood up and brushed off the dust from his dress. Tsuna lifted his head from the sheets and watched the baby questionably.

"Reborn...?"

The baby smirked and then slipped out of the bed, strolling towards the other one. "I call this bed."

The boys lifted their heads to blink at him while he sent them a half-grin.

"I'll feel more hygienic." Was his simple answer.

"..." The boys examined each other and realized how dirty they must've been. In fact... how long had it been since they had showered...? Tsuna hurriedly leapt off of the mattress, eyes widening when he saw the specks of dust and dirt on the white sheets. Who knew how much bacteria they had just spread across the clean bed? Gokudera jumped off as well, apologizing profusely and brushing off the top with haste, trying futilely to restore the sheets back to its original state again.

Yamamoto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Tsuna... I guess we should go to our own rooms and take a shower then?"

The brunet smiled timidly back. "Oh... yeah..." He turned to Mukuro and chirped, "I'll come visit you guys after I finish unpacking...!"

The sorcerer let a gentle smile slide onto his lips and he nodded wordlessly, wondering about his careless actions. What had possessed him to do such an aimless thing as jumping on a bed...? He let out a soft snort and shook his head. Then, after a short nod to Yamamoto, the two calmly left. Gokudera finished cleaning Tsuna's bed spread. After fluffing up the pillows, the silver haired pyro beamed at the brunet. "Jyuudaime, please stay safe! I'll be back in just a moment, so please wait for me!"

Tsuna chuckled and waved to the silver haired pyro, who had grabbed his things from the ground and rushed out to another room a few doors down. Ryohei grinned at the chestnut haired boy and made a great wave of a salute.

"See you, Sawada!" And then he strolled out with a bounce in his step, leaving Reborn and Tsuna to themselves. As the amber eyed boy pulled a white dress from his dresser, the baby spoke up.

"Tsuna, don't get too comfortable yet. You have a lot of learning to do."

The boy turned his head to look at Reborn in surprise. Right... he had almost forgot. He smiled meekly and scratched his cheek a few times. "Tomorrow I have to pay real close attention to the dance of Aeras, right...?"

Reborn nodded. "And tonight, we'll look for a space for you to practice in. The field behind this temple would be ideal."

"Okay," Tsuna continued to scratch his cheek and lowered his eyes to the clean clothes in his hands. Well... looks like he would have to get used to wearing dresses for the next few days...

.:.

After taking a quick shower—and one with hot water, which had surprised him very much since he was never allowed to take hot showers—Tsuna stepped out of the bathroom, skin all warm and amber eyes shining brightly. That must've been the most refreshing shower he had ever taken in his entire life...! It felt like all of his skin and scalp were breathing along with him! And despite the fact that he had to wear nothing but white dresses for the next few days or weeks (depending on how fast he learned the dance), the brunet found himself content and delighted by everything he had right now. He had met someone who could touch him and he had made good friends who were only a few doors away.

Just as Tsuna relaxed back onto his new bed, one of his good friends entered the room.

"Jyuudaime!" Gokudera came running in, wearing one of the white dresses provided by the Temple, and he knelt before Tsuna pleadingly. "Jyuudaime! Please reconsider your decision to room with Reborn-san!"

"Gokudera-kun...?" The brunet's eyebrow quirked upward. What had happened now...?

Ryohei rushed into the room—also wearing a white dress—and a deep frown was etched across his face. He pointed his index finger in the direction of the silver haired boy at the foot of Tsuna's bed and bellowed, "I can't room with this guy! He keeps making me irritated to the extreme!"

"_You're_ irritated?" Gokudera shot up on his feet and marched towards the silver haired man. "_I'm_ the one who's irritated! Why the hell do you keep talking to me? Are you really so thick-headed that you can't even realize when a person is ignoring you? And yet you still come and ask me if I want to arm-wrestle with you. And if you haven't figured out the answer yet, lawn-head, the answer is NO! NO! And ALWAYS NO!"

"..." A bead of sweat ran down Tsuna's head. "Uhhh..." He turned towards Reborn and blinked in astonishment when he couldn't find the baby anywhere in sight. He heard the door to the bathroom close and the corner of his lip twitched a few times. Was that the signal that he would have to take care of these two himself...?

Ryohei frowned deeply. "What's wrong with arm-wrestling, octopus-head? Is it so wrong to try and be friends? I mean, arm-wrestling is a perfectly normal way for two gu—"

"WAAAHHHHH! AHHHH!" Tsuna hurriedly screamed and shouted to cover up Ryohei's near slip-up. Ryohei and Gokudera froze and stared at the boy with round eyes. The brunet made a few silent motions to the open doorway and both of their mouths formed 'o's. Ryohei scratched his cheek and grinned nervously.

"I mean, arm-wrestling is a perfectly normal way for two girls to bond and become friends!"

Tsuna smacked his forehead with a palm. Well... it was good enough.

Gokudera scoffed and then turned, giving the silver haired man the cold shoulder. He scuffled up to Tsuna again and begged earnestly, "Jyuudaime! I'll understand if you want to room with Reborn-san. But please allow me to at least sleep on the floor of your room! Anything but with the lawn-head!"

"Er..." Tsuna smiled nervously and tried to edge away from the desperate look in Gokudera's eyes. The door to the bathroom opened and Reborn stepped out, wearing a tiny version of the white dress. Steam billowed from the washroom in puffs. And then the Arcobaleno, suggested,

"Why don't we check on Yama-chan and Chrome?"

.:.

Somehow, the four males clad in white dresses found themselves walking down the western hallway, searching the doors for the unnatural room number (even though Tsuna knew for sure that Gokudera would still have problems rooming with either Yamamoto or Mukuro). After studying plaque after plaque, they came to realize that the number '6980' was probably not so unnatural as they had initially thought. Gokudera rubbed his chin and studied one doorway with the number '5918' on it. Ryohei scratched his head while peering at another door with '8027'. Tsuna glanced from one door with '1869' to another one with '6918', right across the hall from each other. What the heck? It was practically the same thing! And why did all these door numbers seem so random...? The first digit would suddenly skip from '5' to '2' and then back to '6' or '8'. And sometimes a '9' would even pop up.

A door with the plaque number '1827' suddenly opened and the boys whipped around, staring with wide eyes at the girl walking out, feeling as though they were being caught in an act of peeping. The girl plucked off the plaque on the doorway and then replaced it with a '6927'. Then, feeling a few pairs of eyes on her, she glanced at the boys and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

The boys blinked and then sent her nervous smiles.

"Ahh, uhhh... n-nothing..." Tsuna stuttered and after being sent a strange look, the girl closed the door on them. Gokudera frowned at the new plaque.

"So they can change their door numbers in the western hallway...?"

"Seems like it..." Ryohei nodded.

"Over here, girls." Reboko gnawed on a bite of hair and nodded to a place in the middle of the hall. The three boys gathered at the doorway and watched the '6980' plaque gleam in place. So... the room really _did_ exist... Tsuna knocked on the door softly and after hearing a muffled, 'come in!', he gently pushed the door open.

"Oh! It's Tsuna!" Yamamoto grinned, sitting on his bed and holding a hand of cards. The boys at the entrance blinked when they felt an uncannily, peaceful atmosphere filling the room. It was oddly calm, despite the strange scene before their eyes. Apparently, the two males had decided to push their beds together and were now sitting on their own respective beds, diligently wearing their white dresses. A small pile of cards sat between them.

Mukuro had returned to his old, blue-haired and male self, and he studied the cards in his own hands before lifting his eyes up.

"Oya? If it isn't Tsunayoshi-kun and the Arcobaleno. Would you like to join us? Takeshi-kun was kind enough to invite me to play."

Yamamoto laughed and waved his hand at the sorcerer. "Oh, no! It's nothing. I don't get to play cards often anyway. And when I do, it's usually by myself! So I'm glad to share! Hahahaha!"

"Well, then. I won't hold back..." The blue haired man slapped his hand down onto the bed, eyes flashing. "Royal Flush!"

Yamamoto smirked and his eyes suddenly grew cold and sharp. He slapped down his own hand and pointed at the king of spades in the cards.

"I won't fall for that trick twice. You're using another illusion, aren't you."

Mukuro stared at the king of spades in Yamamoto's cards silently and then shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't see a king of spades. Maybe that's the illusion."

Yamamoto chuckled wryly. "And why would you make an illusion of a king of spades in my hand if you really have a royal flush? Admit it. You cheated. Again. It's your turn to strip, Mukuro."

The sorcerer sighed and started to pull off the other leather glove from his hand. "You're getting sharp, Takeshi-kun. I may have to go all out."

"..." The three boys gaped at them blankly. This was... stupidly absurd.

The leather glove went flying across the room to join its brother on the floor and Yamamoto started shuffling the cards cheerily, happy with his second victory. He sent a broad smile to the trio at the doorway, "So, you guys wanna join?"

Ryohei marched towards the beds eagerly. "What are you guys playing?"

"Strip poker." The two males spoke simultaneously. Gokudera raised an eyebrow and studied the two boys over a few times.

"And what exactly are you stripping? Aren't you both just wearing a dress...?"

The two boys pointed towards the back wall, where two sets of clothes were hung up on a few nails. Some of Yamamoto's garments were lying on the ground in a pile while Mukuro's clothes were still in the air.

"...that's completely pointless..." Gokudera muttered, watching the back wall with half-lidded eyes.

"Suit yourself!" Yamamoto grinned and then turned to Tsuna. "Tsuna, you wanna join?"

The brunet smiled weakly. "I think I'll pass... I don't know how to play..."

"That's ok! We can teach you!" The carefree swordsman beamed and Mukuro nodded in agreement. Ryohei gestured for the brunet to come.

"Sawada, there's always a first to everything!"

"Er... okay..." Tsuna stepped forward hesitantly. He was slightly excited to be learning a new game but... something about the name, 'Strip Poker', made him feel uneasy...

Yamamoto started climbing off the bed.

"I'll let you guys borrow some of my clothes and then we'll hang them up at the back."

"Wait a second...!" Gokudera stomped over to the bed, "Don't drag Jyuudaime into your stupid games!"

The swordsman paused to blink, one foot already over the side of the bed. "Then, what were you guys planning to do when you came to visit...?"

Gokudera came to an abrupt stop at the question. He scowled and his eyebrows knit together. "Well... that's... that's..."

"Hayato wants a new roommate." Reborn said casually and jumped onto the beds with ease. Gokudera felt his skin grow warm from embarrassment.

"T-That's not it...!"

Ryohei shuffled the deck of cards and sent a pointed look towards the silver haired pyro. "Yeah, right. You were complaining to the extreme about how you needed a new roommate! I need a new one, too!"

Mukuro tapped his chin thoughtfully. "So Hayato-kun came to separate me and Takeshi-kun...?" The sorcerer gasped and lifted a hand up to his mouth. "I never knew you were such a cruel person, Hayato-kun...!"

The silver haired boy ground his teeth together, sending a sharp glare at the blue haired sorcerer. "You...!"

Yamamoto laughed and lifted a few clothes in his arms. "Is that what you wanted? Then it'll be fine if I room with you, right?" The swordsman moved to the back wall and started hanging the clothes up, "So why don't you play with us for now? I can move my stuff in later!"

Gokudera fisted his hands by his side and he snapped at Yamamoto. "Who said that I wanted to room with you?"

The black haired swordsman glanced over his shoulder questionably, blinking a few times. "Then you wanted to room with Mukuro?"

Gokudera scowled and glanced in the sorcerer's direction. Mukuro twiddled his fingers at him in a friendly greeting. The silver haired pyro felt a vein snap multiple times in his forehead and his hands shook from anger. He didn't want to room with either of them...!

"No way. I'll never room with that freak!" Gokudera grunted and Mukuro chuckled.

"Then I'll room with you. Now let's play!" Yamamoto beamed.

"Deal." Reborn nodded at the deck lying on the bed, ignoring the silver haired boy as though everything had already been resolved. Yamamoto returned to deal out the cards into six piles and Gokudera eyed the group wordlessly, mouth twitching with irritation. When he saw Tsuna pick up one pile, the silver haired pyro let out a deep sigh and then marched towards the bed.

"Fine fine fine, I'll play. But it's only because I have to save Jyuudaime from you guys." He settled himself onto the bed—Tsuna let out a nervous 's-save?' in surprise—and flicked his cards up in his hands, eyeing them over idly. Gokudera smirked at his cards and waited for the person with the two of clubs to start.

Suddenly, a loud grumble came from someone in the group. The boys blinked simultaneously and turned to Ryohei again, much like the day before. The silver haired man grinned brightly and scratched the back of his head.

"I haven't eaten anything since yesterday night..."

Tsuna stared at Ryohei and his mouth formed an 'o' while Mukuro stole a look at the chestnut haired boy's cards. Gokudera frowned and growled threateningly at the sorcerer, who merely grinned in return. Yamamoto set down a full house in the middle of the bed and then glanced at Ryohei.

"Hmm... didn't that girl, Kurokawa Hana, say that the food court was located somewhere...?"

"Ah!" Tsuna nodded, remembering the black haired girl's words. "She said the food court was in the west halls. So it should be nearby... Should we go look for the food court now?"

Gokudera tapped his chin and eyed the full house Mukuro set down suspiciously. "Wait, didn't she say something else...? What was it..."

Tsuna's eyes furrowed together in thought and then he smiled. "Oh yeah, she also mentioned that she would be going back to her duties and that later, she would tell Kyoko that Ryoko was here. And if we had any problems, we could talk to I-pin!"

"Oh yeah." Gokudera slapped down his own set and the boys stared at the pile silently. Then, their heads whipped towards Tsuna, eyes wide in horror.

"Wait! What did you just say, Tsuna?" Yamamoto gulped and Mukuro rose from the bed, shifting into Chrome quickly. Gokudera stared at Tsuna with round eyes.

"Jyuudaime, did you just say that the door-girl went to tell the lawn-head's sister that her 'sister' was here?"

Tsuna glanced from each of them nervously. "Umm... yeah..." He swallowed and scratched his cheek. "This is bad, isn't it."

Reborn nodded to the group and leapt onto Tsuna's shoulder. "Let's all split up and find Sasagawa's sister. And let's have Takeshi go and ask I-pin for Sasagawa Kyoko's room number. Maybe we'll find her more quickly that way. When you find her door number, keep a careful watch on it."

Yamamoto nodded and rushed out the door, white skirt flying behind him as he ran to I-pin's room.

Reborn addressed the remaining boys. "The rest of us will go around the halls and any other places. If anyone else besides Sasagawa finds her first, bring her to Sasagawa and Gokudera's room and find Sasagawa so that he can speak with her."

The boys nodded to each other and then left the room, running around and peering through open rooms and asking people along the way, searching for the girl named Sasagawa Kyoko. They had to keep their identity a secret! For Tsuna's and everyone's sake!

After several moments of searching, Tsuna made his way to the end of the northern hallway and peered through an open doorway, blinking in surprise when instead of a room, he found a field of grass, glowing spirits, and the darkening sky. Was this... the backyard? Reborn examined the area carefully and smirked.

"Hey, let's go ask I-pin if that door is always open."

"Eh...?" Tsuna glanced at the halfling on his shoulder.

.:.

I-pin adjusted her eyeglasses carefully and peered at the two girls standing in front of her curiously. "The door at the very end of this hall? Oh! Yes, that's the door to the back of our temple. We always leave it open for girls to go outside for some fresh air during the day without having to be seen by strangers on the road. Some of the girls are very shy, you see."

"Ahh..." Tsuna nodded once and smiled gratefully. "Thanks, I-pin."

"No problem! Come back if you have any more questions." The pig-tailed girl returned to her work but then paused. She lifted her head up again. "Oh yeah, you're new here, right?"

Tsuna turned around slowly. "Y-Yes...?"

I-pin giggled and waved a hand at the chestnut haired girl. "Why are you so nervous? I just wanted to tell you that the head coordinator changes from time to time. You see, even though many girls live here, there are also some who come and go. Like me. I have a job and my friend's picking me up in Jier sometime this week. So you might not see me next week."

"Oh!" Tsuna sighed in relief, glad that it hadn't been about him being a boy. "So people don't necessarily stay here...?"

"Some like to visit their own homes now and then." I-pin nodded knowledgeably.

"Ah..." The brunet murmured and then smiled warmly. "I hope you have fun with your friend."

I-pin went silent, admiring the beautiful smile for a moment before beaming happily. "Thank you! You are... Sawada Tsunako, right?"

"Eh? Oh, yeah. That's me." Tsuna fidgeted with his fingers. I-pin laughed at how shy the girl seemed to be and spoke softly.

"When I come back, let's go play out in the fields or something."

"Eh?" Tsuna's eyes widened a little at the words.

I-pin smiled. "Since we're good friends?"

The brunet blinked once and then a large smile split across his face. "Yeah... okay!"

"It's a deal then!" I-pin grinned. The two bid each other goodbye and Tsuna left out the door, smiling happily to himself, feeling his skin grow warm from gaining a new friend. The people here were so nice to him... it was so different from the orphanage...

Reborn smirked and rubbed a hand over Tsuna's head tenderly. Then, after withdrawing his hand, the halfling started in a business-like voice, "Well, we have a good training spot now. We can sneak out at night for you to practice. The space is big enough and there are no windows for anyone to see you. I'll be guarding the door carefully so there is no reason to worry."

"Ah, that's why—"

"Tsuna!"

"Jyuudaime!"

Tsuna turned on his heels and found Chrome, Gokudera, and Yamamoto jogging in his direction. "Eh? You guys? Where's Sasagawa-san?"

Gokudera panted and breathed out, "With... sister now..."

Yamamoto grinned. "Sasagawa found her. I guess siblings really do share some sort of special bond, huh? Haha!" He turned to Gokudera and cheerily suggested, "So, should I go get my stuff now that we're all up and moving?"

"I am not rooming with you." The silver haired pyro growled.

Reborn nodded. "I agree."

"Eh?" Came the responses from Yamamoto, Tsuna, and Gokudera.

"But then..." Tsuna shifted his gaze from Reborn to Gokudera. "...who is Gokudera-kun going to room with...?"

The smirk on Reborn's face grew wider. "Me."

The boys gaped.

"I think it would be a good opportunity to train him." Reborn shrugged.

Tsuna swallowed uncomfortably. "You? Then... I don't have a roommate...?"

.:.

Evening had finally come and Tsuna felt wearier than any other day they had ever traveled. He pulled the covers over himself and sighed.

"Good night, Tsunayoshi-kun!" The familiar soft and slightly mischievous voice chimed from the other side of the room.

"Good night, Mukuro-san..." Tsuna sighed and stared up at the ceiling. He glanced at the lump lying in the other bed and a small smile fell over his face. Well... it would be just like the first time he had met the sorcerer. The boy snuggled into his blanket and closed his eyes, surrendering himself to a deep sleep.

.:.


End file.
